





Book_ 


THE EDWIN C. DINWIDDIE 
COLLECTION OF BOOKS ON 
TEMPERANCE AND ALLIED SUBJECTS 

(PRESENTED BY MRS. DINWIDDIE) 








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THE 


BIBLE PRAYER BOOK, 

OR PRAYERS 

SELECTED PRINCIPALLY FROM 


THE BIBLE, 

FOR THE BENEFIT OF 

r 

YOUNG CHRISTIANS. 


BY B. F. ELLS. 




Why sleep ye, rise and PRAY, lest ye enter into 
temptation, Luke, XXII* 46. 


r 

4 


DAYTON* 


PUBLISHED BY B. P. ELLS, AND E. M* STRONG, AND 
SOLD BY E> M. STRONG, fcAYTON, OHIO. 


1835. 


/- 3 \/ 

II s.4- 


I 


^Copy-right secured according- to Law. 

• m 
M * S - £**fn*C. DlnwMdft 

A “?- 6 . 1935 


PREFACE. 


As the public is not overstocked with prayer books* 
an apology will hardly be required, for this little com¬ 
pilation. But, as there are some, who, though they 
pray orally, have a very great antipathy to written 
prayers, it may be deemed necessary to offer some apol¬ 
ogy for the use of such a work; but in the first place, 
we will endeavour to determine what is meant by 
prayer; and this can be done no better, than in the 
language of the pious Montgomary. 

Pray’r is the soul’s sincere desire, 

Unutered or expressed; 

The motion of a hidden fire. 

That trembles in the breast. 

Pray’r is the burden of a sigh. 

The falling of a tear, 

The upward glancing of an eye. 

When none but God is near. 

Pray’r is the simplest form of speech. 

That infant lips can try; 

Pray’r the sublimest strains that reach 
The ; majesty on high. 

Pray’r is the chjistian’s vital breath, 

The Christian’s native air, 

His watchword at .the gate of death— 

He enters heav’n with pray’r. 

Pray’r is the contrite sinner’s voice, 

Returning from his ways, 

While angels in their songs rejoice, 

And say,—“Behold he Prays.” 

3* 


PREFACE. 


“Lord, teach us to pray, as did John his disciples:”- 
said the enquiring Apostles to the blessed Saviour. 

What prompted this desire in the hearts of the De- 
ciplesl They felt the great necessity and importance 
of prayer; but they were young converts, and their in¬ 
experienced tongues, could not give utterance to what 
their hearts felt. And the Saviour knowing this, did 
not hesitate to give them a form of prayer. 

Those Prayers, that I have found to be the most 
greatful and congenial to the hearts of Christians, are 
such, as are principally clothed in the language of 
scripture; and, as we have presented this little Book to 
the Christian public, as a manual to guide the tongue, 
in giving utterance to the feelings ofthe heart, we have 
brought forth the prayers, of the Saints of old , as suita¬ 
ble moddles. 

Dayton, November 1, 1835. 


THE 


LORDS PRAYER. 


Oar Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed 
be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be 
done on earth, as it is in Heaven; give us, this 
day, our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, 
as we forgive our debtors, and lead us not into 
temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine 
is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, 
forever. Amen. 


It is our duty to pray for one another. 


THE SAVIOUR’S PRAYER 
For His Deciples. 

Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, 
that thy Son also may glorify thee. As thou hast 



6 


BIBLE 


given him power over all flesh, that he should 
give eternal life to as many as thou hast given 
him. And this is life eternal, that they might 
know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, 
whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on 
the earth: I have finished the work which thou 
gavest me to do. 

And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine 
ownself, with the glory, which I had with thee 
before the world was. I have manifested thy 
name unto the men/whom thou gavest me out 
of the world: thine they , ware, and thou givest 
them me; and they have kept thy word. Now* 
they have known that all things whatsoever thou 
hast given me are of thee: for I have given unto 
them the w^ords which thou givest me; and they 
have received them, and have known surely, that 
I came out from thee, and they have believed that 
thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for 
the world, but for them w r hich thou hast given me; 
for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and 
thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And 
now, I am no more in the w r orld, but these are 
in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, 
keep through thine own name those whom thou 
hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


7 


While I was with them in the world. I kept them 
in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have 
kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of 
perdition, that the_scripture might be fulfilled. 
And now come I to thee, and these things I 
speak in the world, that they might have my 
joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given'them thy 
word; and the world hath hated them, because 
they are not of the world, even as I am not of the 
world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them 
out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep 
them from the evil. They are not of the world, 
even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them 
through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou 
hast sent me into the world, even so have I also 
sent them into the world. And for their sakes, 
I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanc¬ 
tified through the truth. Neither pray I for these 
alone ; but for them also which shall believe on 
me through their word: that they all may be 
one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, 
that they also may be one in us: that the world 
may believe that thou hast sent me. And the 
glory which thou givest me, I have giyen them; 
that they may be one, even as we are one; I 
in them, and thou in me, that they may be made 


8 


BIBLE 


perfect in one; and that the world may know 
that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as 
thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also 
whom thou hast given me be with me where I 
am; that they may behold my glory which thou 
hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the 
foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the 
world hath not known thee: but I have known 
thee, and these have known that thou hast sent 
me. And I have declared unto them thy name, 
and will declare it : that the love wherewith 
thou hast loved me, may be in them and I in them. 


Let us learn humility in prayer from— 
THE SAVIOUR’S PRAYER 

In the garden of Gethsemane. 

Abba, Father, all things are possible unto 
thee; take away this cup from me: neverthe¬ 
less, not what I will, but what thou wilt. 

The Saviour fell on the ground, when he of¬ 
fered this nrayer. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


9 


It is profitable to make 
long Prayers on some occa¬ 
sions, but in general it is not. 
A Prayer is the expression 
of a want. When we have 
a particular want, let us pray 
for that at a particular time, 
and leave other wants, for 
other times of prayer. Let 
us imitate the saints of old. 

MOSES’ PRAYER 
For the Presence of the Lord. 

0 Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among 
us, (for it is a stiff necked people,) and pardon 
our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine 
inheritance. 

MOSES’ PRAYER' 

To Enter the Land of Promise. 

OLord God, thou hast begun to shew thy ser- 


10 


BIBLE 


vant thy greatness, and thy mighty hand: for 
what god is there in heaven or in earth that can 
do according to thy works, and according to thy 
might? I pray thee let me go over and seethe 
good land, that is beyond Jordan, that goodly 
mountain, and Lebanon. 


Encouragement to pray. 

THE PRAYER OF THE DYING THIEF. 

Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest 
into thy kingdom. 

The Promise of the Saviour. 

Verily Isay unto thee,—To-day shalt thou 
be with me in Paradise. 


TO CHRISTIAN MOTHERS. 

Christian mothers have great encouragement to give 
their children to the Lord. Hannah of old was with¬ 
out offspring, but she prayed to the Lord, for a Son. 
He heard, and answered her prayer. And when Sam¬ 
uel, the child of prayer, was weaned, his mother took 
him to the house of the Lord, and lent him to the Lord. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


11 


And what did the Lord do with him? Did he cast him 
off? No! He made a great Prophet of him. 

O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the af¬ 
fliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not 
forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine hand¬ 
maid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord 
all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come 
upon his head. 


When Peter was imprisoned by Herod, the Churcli 
prayed for him, and God sent his Angel, and took him 
out of prison and delivered him to those, who prayed 
for him. 



It is my humble opinion, whatever others may think 
on the subject, that in every prayer we should have a 
special object in view for which we plead; I find this 
to be the case generally, with the Saints of old. Our 
wants are many, and great; but some one is generally 
more prominent, than any other: such a one demands 
a more earnest supplication. I have known very good 
men go up to the house of the Lord, to pray especially 
for the prosperity of Zion; but when they would come 
before God in prayer, they would pray for every thing 
else but this. When Elijah prayed on Mount Carmel for 
rain, we apprehend that he prayed for nothing else; 
and his faithful importunity brought the blessing; from 
which, we should take encouragement, “to pray, and 
never faint.” He prayed seven times for the one ob¬ 
ject, before he received the blessing; and I believe 
he would have prayed seventy times seven before his 



12 


BIBLE 


faith would have failed, if he had not received 
the blessing sooner. There is one thing certain; if 
we have not a distinct object in view, we have nothing 
to prompt us to pray. The want of a particular object 
in prayer, argues the want of a proper spirit to pray; 
for how can they pray, who feal not their wants , and 
without this feeling, the spirit will be wanting. I do 
not however, wish to be understood, as saying, that we 
should in all cases, pray hut for one thing at a time, 
or have but one subject, for one prayer; but in general, 
this should be the case, especially in private devotion . 
So says the example of the Saviour, the Prophets, and 
Apostles. 



SOLOMON’S PRAYER 
At the Dedication of the Temple. 

O LORD,— 

God of Israel, there is no god like thee in heaven, 
nor in earth; which keepeth covenant, and shew- 
est mercy unto thy servants that walk before 
thee with all their hearts. Thou who hast kept 
with thy servant David, my father, that which 
thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy 
mouth, and hast fulfilled it, with thine hand, as 
it is this day. Now therefore, O Lord God of 
Israel, keep with thy servant David my father, 


PRAYER BOOK. 


13 


that which thouhast promised him, saying, There 
shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon 
the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children 
take heed to their way to walk in my law, as 
thou hast walked before me. Now then, 0 
Lord God of Israel, let thy word be verified, 
which thou hast spoken unto thy servant Da¬ 
vid. (But will God in very deed dwell with 
men on earth! Behold, heaven, and the heaven 
of heavens, cannot contain thee; how much less 
this house Which I have builded?) Have respect, 
therefore, to the prayer of thy servant, and to 
his supplication, O Lord my God, to hearken unto 
the cry and the prayer which thy servant pray- 
eth before thee; that thine eyes may be open 
upon this house day’ and night, upon the place 
whereof thou hast said, that thou wouldest put 
thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer 
which thy servant prayeth towards this place. 
Hearken, therefore unto the supplications of thy 
servant, and of thy people Israel, which they 
shall make toward this place; hear thou from 
thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and, when 
thou hearest, forgive. 

If a man sin against his neighbour, and #n 
oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and 


14 


BIBLE 


the oath came before thine altar in this house* 
Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge 
thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by re¬ 
compensing his way upon his own head, and 
by justifying the righteous, by giving him ac¬ 
cording to his righteousness. And if thy peo¬ 
ple Israel be put to the worse before the ene¬ 
my, because they have sinned against thee, and 
shall return and confess thy name, and pray 
and make supplication before thee in this house : 
Then hear thou from the heavens, and for¬ 
give the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them 
again unto the land which thou gavest to them, 
and to their fathers. 

When the heaven is shut up, and there is no 
rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet 
if they pray toward this place, and confess thy 
name, and turn from their sin when thou dost 
afflict them. Then hear thou from heaven, and 
forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy peo¬ 
ple Israel, when thou hast tought them the good 
way wherein they should walk; and send rain 
upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy 
people for^an inheritance. 

If there be death in the land, if there be pes¬ 
tilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, 


PRAYER BOOK. 


15 


ot caterpillars; if their enemies besiege them 
in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore, or 
whatsoever sickness* there he. Then what pray¬ 
er, or what supplication soever, shall be made 
of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when 
every one shall know his own sore, and his own 
grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this 
house. Then hear thou from heaven thy dwell¬ 
ing-place, and forgive, and render unto every 
man according unto all his ways, whose heart 
thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts 
of the children of men;) that they may fear 
thee, to walk in thy ways so long as they live 
in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. 

Moreover, concerning the stranger, which is 
not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far 
country for thy great names sake and thy mighty 
hand and thy stretched out arm; if they come 
and pray in this house. Then hear thou from 
the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and 
do according to all that the stranger calleth to 
thee for; that all people of the earth may know 
thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Is¬ 
rael; and may know that this house, which I 
have built, is called by thy name. 


16 


BIBLE 


If thy people go out to war against their en¬ 
emies by the way that thou shalt send them, 
and they pray unto thee toward this city which 
thou hast chosen, and the ‘house which I have 
built, for thy name. Then hear thou from the 
heavens their prayer and their supplication, and 
maintain their cause. If they sin against thee, 
(for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou 
be angry with them, and deliver them over be¬ 
fore their enemies, and they carry them away 
captives unto a land far offor near. Yet, if they 
bethink themselves in the land whither they are 
carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in 
the land of their captivity, saying, We have sin¬ 
ned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wick¬ 
edly. If they return to thee with all their heart, 
and with all their soul, in the land of their cap¬ 
tivity, whither they have carried them captives, 
and pray toward the land, which thou gavest 
unto their fathers, and toward the city which 
thou hast chosen, and toward the house which 
I have built for thy name. Then hear thou from 
the heavens, even from thy dwelling-place, their 
prayer and their supplications, and maintain their 
cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned 
against thee. Now my God, let, I beseech thee 


PRAYER BOOK. 


17 


thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent 
unto the prayer that is made in this place. Now 
therefore, arise, 0 Lord God, into thy resting- 
place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy 
priests, O Lord God, be cloathed with salvation, 
and let thy saints rejoice in goodness, 0 Lord 
God, turn not away the face of thine anointed ; 
remember the mercies of David thy servant. 

DAVID’S PRAYER 
For His Family. 

Who am 1,0 Lord God ? and what is my house, 
that thou hast brought me hitherto? And this 
was yet a small thing in thy sight, O Lord God; 
but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house 
for a great while to come. And is this the man¬ 
ner of man, O Lord God? And what can David 
say more unto thee? for thou Lord God knowest 
thy servant. For thy word’s sake, and accor¬ 
ding to thine own heart, hast thou done all these 
great things to make thy servant know them . 
Wherefore thou art great, 0 Lord God: for there 
is none like thee, neither is there any good be¬ 
sides thee, according to all that we have heard 


18 


BIBLE 


with our ears. And what one nation in the 
earth is like thy people, even like Israel, whom 
God went to redeem for a people to himself, and 
to make him a name, and to do for you great 
things, and terrible, for thy land, before thy 
people, which thou redeemedst to thee from 
Egypt, from the nation and their gods? For 
thou hast confirmed to thyself, thy people Israel 
to be a people unto thee forever: and thou, Lord, 
art become their God. And now, O Lord God, 
the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy 
servant, and concerning his house, establish it 
for ever, and do as thou hast said. And let thy 
name be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord 
of hoasts is the God over Israel and let the house 
of thy servant David be established before thee. 
For thou, O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, hast 
revealed to thy servant, saying, I will build thee 
a house; therefore hath thy servant found in 
his heart, to pray this prayer unto thee. And 
now, 0 Lord God, thou art that God, and thy 
words be true, and thou hast promised this good¬ 
ness unto thy servant. Therfore now let it please 
thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it 
may continue for ever before thee: for thou, O 
Lord God, hast spoken it , and with thy blessing 
let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever. 


PETER’S PRAYER 


For Ministers. 

Lord, thou art God, who hast made heaven, 
and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; 
who, b^fhe mouth of thy servant David hast said. 
Why did the heathen rage, and the people im¬ 
agine vain things? The kings of the earth stood 
up, and the rulers were gathered together against 
the Lord, and against his Christ. For of a truth 
against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast 
anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with 
the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gath¬ 
ered together for to do whatsoever thy hand 
and thy counsel determined before to be done. 
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings; and 
grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness 
they may speak thy word. By stretching forth 
thy hand to heal; and that signs and wonders 
may be done in the name of the holy child Jesus. 

Read what is done in heaven, with the prayers of 
the Saints. The prayers of Saints, are Sacrafices upon 
God’s most Holy Alter. 


3* 


20 


BIBLE 


(Rev. VIII. 3, 4.) 

And another angel came and stood at the altar, hav¬ 
ing a golden censer; and there was given unto him much 
incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all 
saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 
And the smoke of the incense, which came with the 
prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the 
angel’s hand. 


HEZEKIAH’S PRAYER ** 

For the safety of the Nation. 

O Lord God of Israel, which dwellest between 
the cherubims, thou art the God, even thou alone, 
of all the kingdoms of the earth; thou hast made 
heaven and earth. 

Lord, bow down thine ear: and hear: open, 
Lord, thine eyes, and see; and hear the words 
of Sennacherib, who hath sent him to re¬ 
proach the living God. Of a truth, Lord, the 
kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations 
and their lands, and have cast their gods into 
the fire: for they ware no gods, bdt the work 
of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they 
have destroyed them. Now therefore, 0 Lord 
our God, I beseech thee, save thou us out of his 
hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may 
know that thou art the Lord God, even thou 
only. 


JEHOSHAPHAT’S PRAYER 
For Israel. 


O Lord God of our fathers, art not thou God 
in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the king¬ 
doms oLthe heathen? and in thine hand is there 
not poAr and might so that none is able to with¬ 
stand tnee? Art not thou our God, who didst 
drive out the inhabitants of this land before thy 
people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abra¬ 
ham thy friend forever? And they dwelt there¬ 
in, and have built thee a sanctuary therein, for 
thy name, saying,—If, when evil cometh upon 
us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or 
famine, we stand before this house, and in thy 
presence, (for thy name is in this house,) and 
cry unto thee in our affliction, then thou wilt 
hear and help. And now, behold, the children 
of Ammon, and Moab, and mount Seir, whom 
thou wouldest not let Israel invade, when they 
came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned 
from them, and destroyed them not. Behold, 
I say, how they reward us, to come to cast us 
out of thy possession, which thou hast given 
us to inherit. O our God, wilt thou not judge 
them? for we have no might against this great 
company that cometh against us; neither know 
we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee. 


EZRA’S PRAYER 


For the forgiveness of the sins of the 

PEOPLE. 

And at the evening sacrifice, I arose ' 4 - m my 
heaviness ; and having rent my garment and my man¬ 
tle, I fell upon my knees, and spread out my hands 
unto the Lord my God, and said,— 

O my God! I am ashamed and blush to lift 
up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities 
are increased over our head, and our trespass 
is grown up unto the heavens. Since the days 
of our fathers have we been in a great trespass 
unto this day; and for our iniquities have we, 
our kings, and our priests, been delivered into 
the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, 
to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of 
face, as it is this day. And now for a little 
space, grace hath been showed from the Lord 
our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and 
to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God 
may lighten our eyes, and give us a little re¬ 
viving in our bondage. For we were bond- 


PRAYER BOOK. 


23 


men; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our 
bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us in 
the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a 
reviving to set up the house of our God, and 
to repair the desolations thereof, and to give, 
us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem. And 
now, O our God, what shall we say after this? 
for we^iave forsaken thy commandments, 
hast commanded by thy servants, 
the pi*hets, saying,—The land unto which ye 
go to possess it, is an unclean land with the fil¬ 
thiness of the people of the lands, with their 
abominations, which have filled it from one end 
to the other with their uncleaijness. Now there¬ 
fore give not your daughters unto their sons, 
neither take their daughters unto your sons, 
nor seek their peace or their wealth forever; 
that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the 
land, and leave it for an inheritance to your 
children for ever. And after all that is come 
upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great 
trespass, seeing that thou, our God, hast pun¬ 
ished us less than our iniquities deserve, and 
hast given us such deliverance as this ; should 
we again break thy commandments, and join 
in affinity with the people of these abomina¬ 
tions, wouldest not thou be angry with us till 


24 


BIBLE 


thou hadst consumed us, so that there should 
be no remnant nor escaping? OLord God of 
Israel, thou art righteous; for we remain yet 
escaped, as it is this day; behold, we are be¬ 
fore thee in our trespasses; for we cannot stand 
before thee because of this. 


JOB’S PRAYER 
In Affliction. 



Oh that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, 
that thou wouldest keep me secret until thy 
wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me 
a set time, and remember me! If a man die, 
shall he live again? All the days of my appoint¬ 
ed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou 
shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt 
have a desire to the work of thine hands. For 
now thou numberest my steps; dost thou not 
watch over my sin? My transgression is seal¬ 
ed up in a bag, and thou sewest up mine ini¬ 
quity. And surely the mountain falling com- 
eth to nought, and the rock is removed out of 
his place. The waters wear the stones: thou 
washest away the things which grow out of 


PRAYER BOOK. 


25 


the dust of the earth; and thou destroyest the 
hope of man. Thou prevailest forever against 
him, and he passeth; thou changest his coun¬ 
tenance, and sendest him away. His sons 
come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and 
they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not 
of them. But his flesh upon him shall have 
paiik ai^his soul within him shall mourn. 


>ain A aM41 


DAVID’S PRAYER 


In the Morning. 


Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my 
meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my 
cry, my King, and my God: for unto the will 
I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morn¬ 
ing, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my 
prayer unto thee, and will look up. For thou 
art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; 
neither shall evil dwell with thee. The fool¬ 
ish shall not stand in thy sight; thou hatest all 
workers of iniquity. Thou shalt destroy them 
that speak leasing: the Lord will abhor the 
bloody and deceitful man. But as for me, I 
will come into thy house in the multitude of 
thy mercy; and in thy fear will I worship to¬ 
ward thy holy temple. Lead me, O Lord, in 


26 


BIBLE 


thy righteousness, because of mine enemies; 
make thy way straight before my face. For 
there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their in¬ 
ward part is very wickedness; their throat is 
an open sepulchre, they flatter with their 
tongue. Destroy thou them, O God; let them 
fall by their own councels: cast them out in 
the multitude of their transgressions ^jor^they 
have rebelled against thee. But le^HBfee 
that put their trust in thee, rejoice^iff tnem 
ever shout for joy,because thou defendest them; 
let them also that love thy name be joyful in 
thee. For thou, Lord, wilt bless the righteous; 
with favour wilt thou compass him as with a 
shield.. 


AGUR’S PRAYER. 

0 Lord, two things have I required of thee: 
deny them not before I die. Remove far from 
me vanity and lyes; give me neither poverty 
nor riches; feed me with food convenient for 
me. Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, 
Who is the Lord? or lest I be poor, and steal, 
and take the name of my God in vain. 


NEHEMIAH’S PRAYER 


For Israel, when he heard of the dis stress 



of Jerusalem. 

[me to pass when I heard these words, that 
I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and 
fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven, and said, 


I beseech thee, O Lord God of heaven, the 
great and terrible God, that keepeth covenant 
and mercy for them that love him, and observe 
his commandments; let thine ear now be at¬ 
tentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest 
hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray 
before thee now, day and night, for the chil¬ 
dren of Israel thy servants, and confess the 
sins of the children of Israel which we have 
sinned against thee; both I and my father’s 
house have sinned. We have dealt very cor¬ 
ruptly against thee, and have not kept the 
commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judg¬ 
ments, which thou commandedst thy servant 
Moses. Remember, I beseech thee, the word 


28 


BIBLE 


that thou commandedst thy servant Moses? 
saying,—If ye transgress, I will scatter you a- 
broad among the nations: but if ye turn unto 
me, and keep my commandments,and do them; 
though there were of you cast out unto the 
uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather 
them from thence, and will bring them unto 
the place that I have chosen to set^fetiijfcftie 
there. Now, these are thy servant^^^^&y 
people, whom thou hast redeemed b^ll^^Kat 
power, and by thy strong hand. O Lord, I 
beseech thee, let now thine ear be attentive to 
the prayer of thy servants, who desire to fear 
thy name; and prosper, I pray thee, thy ser¬ 
vant this day, and grant him mercy in the 
sight of this man. 


THE ANGEL’S PRAYER 

For Jerusalem. 

(Zechariah, I. 12.) 

O Lord of hosts, how long w T ilt thou not 
have mercy on Jerusalem and on the cities of 
Judah, against which thou hast had indignation 
these threescore and ten years. 


ISAIAH’S PRAYER 


For Israel. 



look down from heaven, and behold 
^hitation of thy holiness and of thy 
ere is thy zeal and thy strength, the 


sounding of thy bowels, and of thy mercies to¬ 
ward me? are they restrained? Doubtless thou 
art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of 
us, and Israel acknowledge us not: thou, 0 
Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name 
from everlasting. 

O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from 
thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy 
fear? Return for thy servants sake, the tribes 
of thine inheritance. The people of thy holi¬ 
ness have possessed it but a little while: our 
adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. 
We are thine: thou never barest rule over 
them; they were not called by thy name. 

Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, 


30 


BIBLE 


that thou wouldest come down, that the moun¬ 
tains might flow down at thy presence; as 
when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth 
the waters to boil: to make thy name known 
to thine adversaries, that the nations may 
tremble at thy presence? When thou didst ter¬ 
rible things which we looked not for, thou 
earnest down, the mountains flowed down afc, 
thy presence. For since the beginnin^^^e** 
world men have not heard, nor pegfl^Bay 
the ear. neither hath the eye seen, 
sides thee, what he hath prepared fSB^Ht 
waiteth for him. Thou meetest him mff re- 
joiceth, and worketh righteousness; those that 
remember thee in thy ways: behold thou art 
wroth; for we have sinned: in those is con¬ 
tinuance, and we shall be saved. But we are 
all as an unclean thing, and all bur righteous¬ 
nesses is as filthy rags; and we all do fade 
as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have 
taken us away. And there is none that call- 
eth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to 
take hold of thee: for thou hast hid thy face 
from us, and hast consumed us, because of our 
iniquities. But now, 0 Lord, thou art our 
Father: we are the clay, and thou our Potter; 
and we all are the work of thy hand. 

Be not wroth very sore, 0 Lord, neither re¬ 
member iniquity forever: behold, see, we 
beseech thee, we are all thy people. Thy 
holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilder* 


PRAYER BOOK. 


31 


ness, Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and 
our beautiful house, where our fathers praised 
thee, is burnt up with fire: and all our pleasant 
things are laid waste. Wilt thou refrain thy¬ 
self for these things, O Lord? wilt thou hold 
thy peace, and afflict us very sore? 



# 


< JEREMIAH’S PRAYER 
For Zion. 

O Lord, hast thou utterly rejected Judah? 
hath thy soul loathed Zion? why hast thou 
smitten us, and there is no healing for us ? we 
looked for peace, and there is no good; and 
for the time of healing, and behold trouble! 
We acknowledge, 0 Lord, our wickedness, 
and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have 
sinned against thee. Do not abhor us, for thy 
name’s sake; do not disgrace the throne of 
thy glory: remember, break not thy covenant 
with us. Are there any among the vanities of 
the Gentiles that can cause rain? or can the 
heavens give showers? Art not thou he, O 
Lord our God? Therefore we will wait upon 
thee; for thou hast made all these things. 


32 


BIBLE 


JEREMIAH’S PRAYER 

For Himself. 

0 Lord, thou knowest: remember me, and 
visit me, and revenge me of my persecutors; 
take me not away in thy long-suffering: know 
that for thy sake I have suffered rebuke. Thy 
words were found, and I did eat them; and 
thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing 
of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, 
O Lord of hosts. I sat not in the assembly of 
the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone, because 
of thy hand: for thou hast filled me with in¬ 
dignation. Why is my pain perpetual, and 
my wound incurable, which refuseth to be 
healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a 
liar, and as waters that fail? 

JEREMIAH’S PRAYER, 

Or Complaint. 

Ah, Lord God! behold, thou hast made the 
heaven and the earth by thy great pow T er and 
stretched-out arm, and there is nothing too 
hard for thee: thou shewest loving-kindness 
unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity 
of the fathers into the bosom of their children 
after them. The Great, the Mighty God, the 
Lord of hosts, is his name; great in counsel, 



PRAYER BOOK. 


33 


and mighty in work: (for thine eyes are open 
upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give 
every one according to his ways, and accord¬ 
ing to the fruit of his doings:) which hast set 
signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even 
unto this day, and in Israel, and among other 
men; and hast made thee a name, as at this 
day, and hast brought forth thy people Israel 
out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with 
wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a 
stretched-out arm, and with great terror; and 
hast given them this land, which thou didst 
swear to their fathers to give them, a land 
flowing with milk and honey, and they came 
in and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy 
voice, neither walked in thy law: they have 
done nothing of all that thou commandest 
them to do; therefore thou hast caused all this 
evil to come upon them. Behold the mounts, 
they are come unto the city to take it; and 
the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans 
that fight against it; because of the sword,and 
of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what 
thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold 
thou seest it. And thou hast said unto me, O 
Lord God, Buy thee the field for money, and 
take witnesses; for the city is given into the 
hand of the Chaldeans. 


4 


JEREMIAH’S PRAYER 

For the deliverance of Zion. 


Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us 
consider, and behold our reproach. Our in¬ 
heritance is turned to strangers, our houses to 
aliens. We are orphans and fatherless, our 
mothers are as widows. We have drunken 
our water for money; our wood is sold unto 
us. Our necks are under persecution: we la¬ 
bor, and have no rest. We have given the 
hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, 
to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers have 
sinned, and ore not; and we have borne their 
iniquities. Servants have ruled over us: there 
is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. 
We gat our bread with the peril of our lives, 
because of the sword of the wilderness. Our 
skin was black like an oven, because of the 
terrible famine. They ravished the women in 
Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah. 
Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces 
of elders were not honored. They took the 
young men to grind, and the children fell under 
the wood. The elders have ceased from the 
gate, the young men from their music. The 
joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned 


PRAYER BOOK. 


35 


into mourning. The crown is fallen from our 
head: wo unto us that we have sinned! For 
this our heart is faint; for these things our 
eyes are dim. Because of the mountain of 
Zion, which is desolate: the foxes walk upon 
it. Thou, 0 Lord, remainest forever; thy 
throne from generation to generation. Where¬ 
fore dost thou forget us forever, and forsake 
us so long time ? Turn thou us unto thee, O 
Lord and we shall be turned: renew our days 
of old. But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou 
art very wroth against us. 


DANIEL’S PRAYER 
For the restoration of Jerusalem. 

And I prayed unto .the Lord my God, and 
made my confession, and said, O Lord, the 
great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant 
and mercy to them that love him, and to them 
that keep his commandments; we have sinned, 
and have committed iniquity, and have done 
wickedly, and have rebelled, even by depart¬ 
ing from thy precepts and from thy judgments; 
neither have we hearkened unto thy servants 
the prophets, which spake in thy name to our 
4 * 


36 


BIBLE 


kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all 
the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness 
belongeth unto thee; but unto us confusion of 
face, as at this day: to the men of Judah, and 
to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all 
Israel; that are near, and that are far off, 
through all countries wither thou hast driven 
them, because of their trespass that they have 
trespassed against thee. O Lord, to us belong¬ 
eth confusion of face, to our kings, to our prin¬ 
ces, and to our fathers, because we have sin¬ 
ned against thee. To the Lord our God be¬ 
longeth mercies and forgiveness, though we 
have rebelled against him: neither have we 
obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk 
in his laws, which he set before us by his ser¬ 
vants the prophets. Yea, all Israel have trans¬ 
gressed thy law, even by departing, that they 
might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse 
is poured out upon us, and the oath that is 
written in the law of Moses, the servant of 
God, because we have sinned against him. 
And he hath confirmed his words, which he 
spake against us, and against our judges that 
judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: 
for under the whole heaven hath not been done 


PRAYER BOOK. 


37 


as hath been done upon Jerusalem. As it is 
written in the law of Moses, all this evil has 
come upon us: yet made we not our prayer 
before the Lord our God, that we might turn 
from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. 
Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the 
evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our 
God is righteous in all his works which he do- 
eth: for we obeyed not his voice. And now, 
O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people 
forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty 
hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this 
day: we have sinned, we have done wickedly. 

O Lord, according to all thy righteousness, 
I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be 
turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy 
mountain: because for our sins, and for the in¬ 
iquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy peo¬ 
ple are become a reproach to all that are about 
us. Now, therefore, O our God, hear the pray¬ 
er of thy servant, and his supplications, and 
cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary 
that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. O my 
God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine 
eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city 
which is called by thy name: for we do not 


38 


BIBLE 


present our supplications before thee for our 
righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. O 
Lord, hear; 0 Lord,forgive; OLord, hearken, 
and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my 
God: for thy city and thy people are called by 
thy name. 



HABAKKUIv’S PRAYER. 

0 Lord, I have heard thy speech, and was 
afraid: O Lord, revive thy work in the midst 
of the years, in the midst of the years make 
known; in wrath remember mercy. 

God came from Teman, and the holy One 
from mount Paran. Selah. His glory covered 
the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 
And his brightness was as the' light; he had 
horns coming out of his hand; and there was 
the hiding of his power. Before him went the 
pestilence, and burning coals went forth at his 
feet. He stood and measured the earth: he 
beheld and drove asunder the nations; and the 
everlasting mountains were scattered, the per¬ 
petual hills did bow: his ways are everlasting. 
I saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; and 


PRAYER BOOK. 


39 


the curtains of the land of Midian did tremble. 
Was the Lord displeased against the rivers? 
was thine anger against the rivers? was thy 
wrath against the sea, that thou didst ride upon 
thine horses, and thy chariots of salvation? 
Thy bow was made quite naked, according to 
the oaths of the tribes, even thy word. Selah. 
Thou didst cleave the earth with rivers. The 
mountains saw thee, and they trembled; the 
overflowing of the water passed by; the deep 
uttered his voice, and lifted up his hands on 
high. The sun and moon stood still in their 
habitation: at the light of thine arrows they 
went, and at the shining of thy glittering spear. 
Thou didst march through the land in indigna¬ 
tion, thou didst thresh the heathen in anger. 
Thou wentest forth for the salvation of thy 
people, even for salvation with thine anointed; 
thou woundest the head out of the house of 
the wicked, by discovering the foundation unto 
the neck. Selah. Thou didst strike through 
with his staves the head of his villages; they 
came out as a whirlwind to scatter me: their 
rejoicing was as- to devour the poor secretly. 
Thou didst walk through the sea with thine 
horses, through the heap of great waters. 


40 


BIBLE 


When I heard, my body trembled; my lips 
quivered at the voice: rottenness entered into 
my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I 
might rest in the day of trouble: when he com- 
eth up unto the people he will invade them 
with his troops. 


EXTRACTS FROM 
JAY S PRAYERS. 

SUNDAY MORNING. 

O Thou King eternal, and immortal, invisi¬ 
ble, dwelling in the light which no man can 
approach unto, and whom no man hath seen, 
or can see. Thou art incomprehensible, and 
the highest archangel cannot find Thee out unto 
perfection. Yet Thou hast been pleased to 
reveal thyself; and by means of thy word, we 
behold Thee in every character and relation 
that can suit our necessities, or encourage our 
hope. Thy throne is in the heavens, and thy 
kingdom ruleth over all; and all nations before 
Thee are as nothing; yet thou condescendest 
to regard the things that are done in the earth; 
and despisest not the prayer even of the desti- 


42 


BIBLE 


tute. Thou art exalted above all blessing and 
praise: our goodness extendeth not to Thee,— 
but, unless thine be extended to us, we are un¬ 
done forever. Without Thee we can do noth¬ 
ing; we are nothing. In Thee we live, and 
move, and have our being. The way of man 
is notin himself; it is not in man that walketh 
to direct his steps. We are universally indi¬ 
gent and dependent; but as Thou art able, so 
thou art willing, to take the charge of us; and 
here we are, the living to praise Thee; and to 
acknowledge, that goodness and mercy have 
followed us all the days of our lives. 

We bless Thee, that Thou hast regarded our 
souls, as well as our bodies; and no less pro¬ 
vided for our future interests, than our present. 
When there was no eye to pity us, Thou didst 
remember us in our low estate; and when 
there was no arm to rescue, Thou wast pleas¬ 
ed to lay help upon one that is mighty; and thou 
hast sent thine own Son into the world, not to 
condemn the world, but that the world through 
Him might be saved. To him may we turn 
our believing regards, and find in Him the wis¬ 
dom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemp¬ 
tion, which, as perishing sinners, we need. In 


PRAYER BOOK. 


43 


all our approaches to Thee, may we have bold¬ 
ness, and access, with confidence, by the faith 
of Him. May we know that He has borne 
our grief, and carried our sorrow; and be able 
to rejoice in him as our sacrifice, our sympa¬ 
thising friend, our almighty helper, and our 
lovely example. May we drink into his spirit. 
May we transcribe the excellencies of his 
character into our own. May we place our 
feet in the very prints of his steps; and follow 
Him in the regeneration, till we shall be per¬ 
fectly like Him, and see Him as He is. 

We desire to acknowledge Thee in the dis¬ 
pensations of thy providence; and to own thy 
agency in all the events that befall us, whether 
pleasing or painful. Thou hast a right to gov¬ 
ern us; and Thou knowest what will best ad¬ 
vance our welfare. May we commit our way 
unto the Lord, and be able to say at thy foot¬ 
stool, in unfeigned submission, Here I am, let 
Him do what seemeth Him good. If darkness 
veils thy dealings with us, may we trust and 
not be afraid; believing, that what we know 
not now, we shall know hereafter; and that the 
developement of thy conduct will issue in per¬ 
fect satisfaction and praise. 


44 


BIBLE 


We bless Thee for the institutions of reli¬ 
gion, in the use of which, Thou hast promised 
to draw near to those that draw near to Thee. 
We rejoice in another of the days of the Son 
of man; may we call off our minds from the 
cares of the world, and attend upon the Lord 
without distraction. Quicken and elevate our 
souls, that rising above the formality of devo¬ 
tion, we may come even to thy seat, and en¬ 
joy a little of the blessedness of those that have 
entered thy temple above, and are singing the 
song of Moses and the Lamb. We are going 
to assemble in the house of prayer—pour upon 
us the spirit of grace and of supplication; and 
rank us in the number of those who hunger and 
thrist after righteousness. We are going to 
the house of praise—awaken in us every grate¬ 
ful and cheerful emotion, and may we speak to 
ourselves in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual 
songs, singing and making melody in our hearts 
unto the Lord. We are repairing to the house 
of instruction—enable us to receive the king¬ 
dom of God as a little child. Teach us of thy 
ways. Lead us into all truth. And let us be 
neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge 
of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 


PRAYERBOOK. 


45 


For this purpose, let thy presence go with 
us; and let thy word come to us; not in word 
only, but in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and 
in much assurance. Bless all the churches of 
the faithful; and the ministers of the everlast¬ 
ing gospel, of every name, and of every nation. 
Clothe the priests with salvation; and let thy 
saints shout aloud for joy. May our country 
prosper in all her lawful interests both domes¬ 
tic and foreign. Bless the chief magistrate of 
our nation, and all that are in authority; may 
they rule in thy fear, and be guided by thy 
counsel; and may the people lead quiet and 
peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty. 
Make us glad according to the days wherein 
Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein 
we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto 
thy servants, and thy glory unto their children, 
and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon 
us; establish Thou the work of our hand upon 
us, yea, the work of our hand, establish Thou 
it. And to thy Holy name, Father, Son, and 
Holy Spirit, be present, and everlasting prais¬ 
es. Amen. 


40 


BIBLE 


SUNDAY EVENING. 

When we consider the heavens the work of 
thy fingers, and the moon and the stars which 
Thou hast ordained, Lord, what is man, that 
Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that 
Thou visitest him. In thy sight the heavens 
are not clean; and Thou chargest thine angels 
with folly—With what truth therefore may we, 
and'with what humiliation ought we, to ex¬ 
claim, behold we are vile 1 

And yet, we believe—help Thou our unbe¬ 
lief, that Thou waitest to be gracious unto us; 
and art exalted to have mercy upon us. And 
Christ also has once suffered for sins, the just 
for the unjust, that he might bring us unto 
God. Through his obedience unto death, even 
the death of the cross, it is honourable in Thee, 
to save all that come unto Thee by Him and 
Thou art faithful and just, as well as gracious 
and merciful, in forgiving us our sins, and in 
cleansing us from all unrighteousness. 

We bless thy holy name, for a foundation 
on which the guilty, the depraved, and the 
helpless, can build, a hope that maketh not a- 
shamed; for a refuge from the curse of a bro¬ 
ken law; for a fountain opened for sin and un¬ 
cleanness; and for a fulness, from which we 
can receive, and grace for grace. We want to 
appropriate and realize all the representations 
given of the Saviour in thy word; and to find 


PRAYER BOOK. 


47 


it to be, in our own experience, what 'thy peo¬ 
ple have found him to be, in all ages of the 
world. May our persons and our services be 
accepted in the beloved. May we be justified 
freely by thy grace, through the redemption 
that is in Christ Jesus. May we be saved by 
the washing of regeneration, and the renewing 
of the Holy Ghost. We are weary and heavy 
laden, give us rest. We are depraved in all 
our powers—work in us to will and to do of 
thy good pleasure. We are ignorant—fill us 
with the knowledge of thy will, in all wisdom 
and spiritual understanding, that we may ap¬ 
prove things that are excellent, and be sincere 
and without offence, till the day of Christ. 

Many eyes are upon us—lead us in a plain 
path because of our enemies. Many watch 
for our halting; but may we put to silence the 
ignorance of foolish men, and* constrain them 
by our good works, which they behold, to glo¬ 
rify God, in the day of visitation. 

Some did run well, but are hindered: they 
began in the spirit, but are now walking in the 
flesh. We tremble for them—and we tremble 
for ourselves: we pray for them, and we pray 
for ourselves. Recover and restore them, and 
keep us, by thy power, through faith unto sal¬ 
vation. May we never draw back; never 
turn aside to the right hand or to the left; ne¬ 
ver stand still; never look back; never seem 
to come short through unbelief, but be always 


48 


BIBLE 


abounding in the work of the Lord,—and so 
much the more as we see the day approach¬ 
ing. 

Though we are ignorant of the future, and 
know not what a day may bring forth, keep us 
from being of a doubtful mind. May we be 
careful for nothing. May we go on our way 
rejoicing, persuaded that all thy dispensations 
are designed and adapted to prove, that Thou 
carest for us. 

We can, even now, see much of thy wisdom, 
righteousness, and kindness, in events, that 
once perplexed us, and alarmed; and what we 
know not now, we shall know hereafter. Soon 
the mystery of providence will be completed 
and explained. Soon shall we have passed 
these dark and mournful regions; and then 
our sun shall no more go down, nor our moon 
withdraw herself; for God shall be our ever¬ 
lasting light, and the days of our mourning 
shall be ended. 

And till we arrive in heaven, our home, may 
we gratefully avail ourselves of all the advan¬ 
tages afforded us in our journey. We bless 
thee for wilderness privileges; for the manna; 
the streams of the smitten rock; the fiery 
cloudy pillar; the tabernacle and the ark. We 
bless Thee for the sabbath, the sanctuary, and 
the ministry of the word. We bless Thee for 
the opportunities we have, this day, enjoyed 


PRAYER BOOK. 


49 


in waiting upon thee. Many who love thy 
salvation, have passed the sacred hours, in sol¬ 
itude. Many have had no means of grace to 
invite their attendance. And many who have 
been assembled together, have not heard the 
gospel of the grace of God in truth. O, let not 
our privileges increase our guilt, and aggravate 
our condemnation, so that it shall be more tol¬ 
erable for Sodom and Gomorrah, in the day of 
judgment, than for us. Let not the truths we 
have been hearing, visit us only as weekly 
guests; but may they be residents in our hearts. 
May the word of Christ dwell in us richly, in 
all wisdom. And though the exercises in which 
we have been engaged are transient, may the 
effects produced by them be deep and durable; 
may the sabbath pervade the week, and the 
spirit of devotion actuate us in the absence of 
its forms: whether we eat, or drink, or what¬ 
ever we do, may we do all to the glory of God. 

Bless, O bless the rising generation, the sour¬ 
ces of future families and communities. When 
the clods of the valley shall be sweet about us, 
may they be found a seed to serve thee. Many 
of them have had the advantage of religious 
education; they have seen pious examples; 
they early kneeled at the domestic altar; from 
infancy they knew the holy Scriptures, and 
have often been alarmed, often melted under 
the word preached; and frequently have they 
been ready to subscribe with their own hand, 

5 


50 


BIBLE 


and surname themselves by the name of Israel. 
0 let not these promising appearances and be¬ 
ginnings be destroyed. O, let not the wild 
beast out of the wood, carry off the lambs of 
the flock; but may the Shepherd of Israel gath¬ 
er them with his arm, and carry them in his 
bosom. 

Regard all thy professing churches. Bless 
them with soundness of doctrine; purity and 
liberality of discipline; and sanctity and amia¬ 
bleness of character, in their members: and 
the Lord add to his people, how many soever 
they be, an hundred fold. Yea, let a little one 
become a thousand, and a small one a strong 
nation; and all the families of the earth be 
blessed in Him—who is all our salvation, and 
all our desire—to whom be glory and domin¬ 
ion, for ever and ever. Amen. 


MONDAY MORNING. 

O Thou King eternal, immortal, and invisi¬ 
ble—we would adore Thee, and take shame to 
ourselves: and though allowed to approach thy 
divine majesty, wY would never forget the sen¬ 
timents of humiliation and contrition, which 
become such creatures as we are. Father! we 
have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, 
and are not worthy to be called thy children: 


PRAYER BOOK. 


51 


we are not worthy of the least of all thy mer¬ 
cies. Yea. we have merited thy displeasure ; 
and thy righteousness would be completely 
acquitted in our destruction. 

O, for hearts of flesh! Lord, produce in us 
that sensibility of soul, which will lead us to 
feel our vileness, to deplore our guilt, and to 
cast ourselves at thy feet, abhorring ourselves, 
and repenting in dust and -ashes. And impart 
to us that faithwhich will enable us to hope 
in thy word, and derive strong consolation 
from the invitations and promises of the gos¬ 
pel. We are cdme to implore the greatest 
blessings the God of love can give ; but our ap¬ 
plication is not presumption: we are come to 
call thee, Abba Father, to enter thy house, to 
sit down at thy table, to lean on thy arm, to 
walk with God; but we are not come unbid¬ 
den or uncalled: Thou hast called us by thy 
grace; and it is thy commandment that we 
should believe on the name of thy Son, Jesus 
Christ. Lord, we assent, we submit, we de¬ 
pend, we apply. Since He came into the world 
to save sinners, we take him as our Saviour; 
and glory in him, as made of thee, to us wis¬ 
dom and righteousness, sanctification and re¬ 
demption. 

And, O, may our minds be fixed and filled 
with admiring thoughts of his person and offi¬ 
ces; may our hearts be inflamed with a sense 
of his boundless compassion and love. By the 
5 * 


52 


BIBLE 


new and living way which he has not only re- 
vealed, but consecrated for us, may we come 
to thee, and enjoy all the advantages of a state 
of reconcileation and friendship with God. 
May the most open and familiar intercourse 
be maintained, between thee and our souls. 
To thee may we commit our way and our 
works; and in every thing by prayer and sup¬ 
plication make knovtfn our requests unto God; 
and be thou always near, to guide us and to 
defend; to relieve us in trouble, and to help us 
in duty. And may we walk humbly with our 
God; wondering at the condescension that 
deigns to regard our mean affairs; the patience 
that bears with our manners; and the kindness 
that employs so many means to advance our 
everlasting welfare. * 

We grieve to think, that a world so full of 
thy bounty, should be so empty of thy praise. 
0, that men would praise the Lord for his good¬ 
ness, and for his wonderful works to the chil¬ 
dren of men. Bless the Lord, all his works, in 
all places of his dominion; bless the Lord, O 
my soul. 

Again thy visitation hath preserved our spi¬ 
rits. Through the dark and silent watches of 
the night, thou hast suffered no evil to befall us, 
nor any plague to come nigh our dwelling. 
And we are not only the living to praise thee, 
this morning, but the distinguished, and the in- 


PRAYER BOOK. 


53 


dulged. Many who have seen the light of the 
day, as well as ourselves, are encompassed with 
want, and pain, and wretchedness; but we 
have all things richly to enjoy. 

Thou takest pleasure in the prosperity of thy 
servants; may we always take pleasure in the 
advancement of thy glory. Thou art never 
weary in doing us good; may we never grow 
weary in well doing. Thy mercies are new 
every morning; every morning, by thy mer¬ 
cies, may we present our bodies a living sacri¬ 
fice, holy, and acceptable, which is our reason¬ 
able service. 

And to the God of our salvation, the Father, 
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be ascribed, the 
kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever 
and ever. Amen . 



MONDAY EVENING. 

0 Thou, in whose presence angels bow, and • 
arch-angels veil their faces, enable us to serve 
thee, with reverence and godly fear. O Thou 
who art a Spirit, and requirest truth in the in¬ 
ward parts, help us to worship thee in spirit 
and in truth. O righteous Father, we would 
not come to thee harboring the love of any sin 
in our bosoms: for thou hast assured us, that 
if we regard iniquity in our hearts, thou wilt 


54 


BIBLE 


not hear us. We mul address thee as sinners; 
but we acknowledge our transgression, and 
our sin is ever before us; we desire to have 
nothing more to do with idols; we hate every 
false way, and long to be Israelites indeed, in 
whom is no guile. 

Nor would we, 0 God, appear in thy pres¬ 
ence, indulging a worldly temper, and seeking 
after an abundance of those things, that afford 
no satisfaction in the possession, and perish in 
the using. After all these things do the Gen¬ 
tiles seek, and our heavenly Father knoweth 
what things we have need of, before we ask 
him; and will administer them as our wants 
and welfare may require. We are hastening 
towards an hour, which will show us the vani¬ 
ty of all earthly pursuits and possessions. 
When a few more suns have rolled over us, it 
will be a matter of indifference, whether we 
have been rich or poor; successful in our en¬ 
terprises, or disappointed; admired of our fel¬ 
low creatures, or despised; but it will be- of 
eternal moment to us, that we have mourned 
for sin; that we have hungered and thirsted 
after righteousness; that we have loved the 
Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, and gloried in 
his cross. 

May these objects, therefore, however des¬ 
pised of men, engross our chief solicitude. 
May we labor for that me^t, which endureth 


PRAYERBOOK. 


OD 


unto everlasting life; may we lay up treasure 
in heaven; may we seek the honor that com- 
eth from God only. O, remember us with the 
favor thou bearest unto thy people, and visit 
us with thy salvation. Deliver us from the 
condemnation of the law, and the bondage of 
corruption, and bring us into the glorious liber¬ 
ty of the children of God. Justify us freely 
from all things,, and renew us in the spirit of 
our minds. Produce in us those principles and 
dispositions,which will render thy service per¬ 
fect freedom; and make it our meat to do the 
will of our heavenly Father, and to finish his 
work. 

Expel from our minds all sinful fear and 
shame, and with firmness and courage may we 
confess the Redeemer before men, and go forth 
to Him withovit the camp, bearing his reproach. 
And may oiir zeal be according to knowledge. 
Fill us with all wisdom and spiritual under¬ 
standing. May we walk circumspectly. May 
we .never take a wrong course, or a wrong 
step. May we venture on nothing, without 
askingcounsel of God. Without prejudice, may 
we repair to the Scriptures, and kneeling be¬ 
fore the divine oracles, ask, Lord what wilt 
thou have me to do? May we faithfully study 
our conditions and connexions in life, and ob¬ 
serve every dispensation of thy providence, 
that we may see how we can honor thee in 


56 


BIBLE 


our body and spirit, and serve our generation 
according to the will of God. 

Thou hast commanded us to be pitiful, and 
to pray for all men. We would remember, 
that every moment of pleasure to us, is a mo¬ 
ment of anguish to some; and that while our 
health and our relative comforts are continued, 
many are confined to beds of languishing, or 
sighing. Lover and friend hast thou put from 
me, and mine acquaintance into darkness. In 
the multitude of their thoughts within them, 
may thy comforts delight their souls; and if 
not in the suffering, yet in the review of then- 
trials, may they be able to say, “It is good for 
me that I have been afflicted.” Let not the 
prosperity of the successful destroy them: or 
the table of the indulged prove a snare. In 
every state may the voice be heard and obey¬ 
ed, arise and depart hence, for this is not your 
rest. 

We know not what a day may bring forth; 
yet we would not be anxious in prospect of 
the future, nor perplex Ourselves with that care 
about events, which it is our duty and privi¬ 
lege to cast upon Him who careth for us. We 
w'ould keep our minds in perfect peace, being 
stayed upon thee. Assure us, that nothing can 
befall us without thy permission, appointment, 
and administration; assure us that thou hast 
engaged to make all things work together for 




PR AYER BOOK. 


57 


our good—say to our hearts, I will never leave 
thee nor forsake thee. 

Grant us thy counsels for our guide; 

And then receive us to thy bliss ;. 

All our desires and hopes beside, 

Are faint and cold compared with this. 

Amen. 



TUESDAY MORNING. 

0 Thou omnipresent and omniscient Jeho¬ 
vah! Thou art about our path, and our lying 
down; and thou art acquainted with all our 
ways,. There is not a word in our tongue, but 
lo! O Lord, thou knowest it altogether. Thou 
understandest our very thoughts afar off. Yea, 
the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night 
shineth as the day: the darkness and the light 
are both alike to thee. 

Known, therefore, to thee are our sins with 
every aggravation; and our necessities with 
all their circumstances; and yet thou requirest 
us to confess our guilt, and to spread ourw^ants 
before thee, in order that we ourselves may be 
suitably affected with them, and be preparecl 
for the promised displays of thy goodness. Ev¬ 
ery view we take of ourselves, convinces us 


58 


BIBLE 

that we lie entirely at thy mercy, and that it 
is only because thy compassions fail not, we 
are not consumed. ,We know not the evil 
there is in one sin, and our iniquities are more 
in number , than the hairs upon our head. Thou 
art our Creator; but of the rock that begat us 
we are unmindful, and have forgotten the God 
that formed us. Thou hast nourished and 
brought up children; but we have rebelled 
against thee. Thou hast given us laws, found¬ 
ed in a regard to our welfare as well as thine 
own glory; but we have said with our lives, if 
not with our lips, Who is the Lord that we 
should obey his voice? Thou art the perfection 
of beauty, the centre of excellency, the source 
of all blessedness; and Thee we ought to have 
loved supremely; but we have loved and serv¬ 
ed the creature more than the-Creator; we 
have loved idols, and after them we have gone. 
Instead of praying, Lord, lift thou up the light 
of tljy countenance upon us,—we have asked 
with the multitude,' Who will show us any 
good? Departing from thee, we have made 
flesh our arm. We have leaited on broken 
reeds, and though they have disappointed our 
hopes, and pierced us through with many sor¬ 
rows, we have often returned to the same 
wretched dependence. Thou hast raised up 
for us a Saviour; and the gospel has presented 
to our view a plan of redemption and renova¬ 
tion, which the angels desire to look into. But 


PRAYER BOOK. 


59 


we have crowned all our guilt, by neglecting 
so great salvation, and turning away from 
Him that speaketh from heaven;, and we de¬ 
serve to be forever excluded from all the 
blessings of. the cross. 

O deal not with us after our desert, but ac¬ 
cording to our necessity; and where sin has 
abounded, may grace much more abound— 
Over all our unworthiness may grace reign 
through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus 
Christ our Lord. It is thy pleasure that we 
seek thee. The desires we feel are. of thine 
own producing. We are willing to be saved in 
thy own way. We love thy salvation—we 
love it as it is free, and secures to thyself the 
undivided glory; and we love it as it is holy, 
and designed to save us from the power as well 
as the penalty of sin. O visit us with thy sal¬ 
vation. Shine into our hearts, and give us the 
light of the knowledge of thy glory in the face 
of Jesus Christ. Enable us by faith to em¬ 
brace 1 thy unspeakable gift. May we sit at his 
feet. May we glory in his cross. May we 
imbibe his spirit. May we follow his example; 
and what we do in word or deed, may we- do 
all in the name of the Lord Jesus. 

We extend our wishes beyond the little cir¬ 
cle now kneeling in thy presence. We have 
various absent connexions endeared to our 
hearts; O place them under thy agency, as the 


60 


BIBLE 


God of grace; and keep them under thy care 
as the God of providence. 

We would remember them that are in bonds, 
as bound with them, and those that suffer ad¬ 
versity as being ourselves also in the body. 
Address to the hearts of the afflicted the pro¬ 
mise, I will be with thee in trouble; thy shoes 
shall be iron and brass, and as thy days, so 
shall thy strength be. Let glory dwell in our 
land, and upon all the glory may there be a 
defence. Do good in thy good pleasure unto 
Zion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Make 
bare thine arm in the sight of all the nations; 
and let all the ends of the earth see the salva¬ 
tion of our God. 

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and 
the love of God, and the communion of the 
Holy Ghost, be with us all, now and for ever 
more. Amen. 


TUESDAY EVENING. 

OThou who wast, and art, and art to come, 
the Almighty. With Thee is the fountain of 
life. In thy presence there is fullness of joy, 
and at thy right-hand there are pleasures for 
evermore. It is our privilege as well as our 
duty, to draw near to Thee. It is the prerog¬ 
ative of our nature, that of all creatures in this 


PRAYER BOOK. 


61 


lower world, we alone are made. capable of 
knowing, resembling, serving, and enjoying 
Thee. All our degradations and misery have 
been produced by our alienation and absence 
from Thee; and all our happiness and perfection 
depend upon our re-union and intercourse with 
Thee. We, therefore, bless Thee for the-reve¬ 
lation Thou hast given us,and by which we learn, 
that thy thoughts towards us are thoughts of 
peace, and not of evil. We rejoice in a new and 
living way into the holiest, by the blood of Je-. 
sus, who has once suffered, for'sins, the just for 
the unjust, that he might bring us unto God. 
We pray that the grand design of this sacrifice 
may be accomplished in each of us. May we 
feel that we are brought back from the dread¬ 
ful distance to which sin had conveyed us, and 
that w^e are one with God again; and hence¬ 
forth, may the life that we lead in the flesh, be 
a life of communion with the Father of our spir¬ 
its, and of devotedness to him. May thy ser¬ 
vice be the employment of our days, and the 
enjoyment of our hearts. May we love thy 
commands and acquiesce in thy dispensation; 
and then we are at the gate of heaven. 

We lament that this has been so little the 
case with us, since we have known Thee, or 
rather have been known of Thee. We ought 
to be ashamed to think, that after all the in¬ 
structions of thy word, the ordinances of thy 
house, and the discipline of thy family, our ears 
are still so dull of hearing, and our hearts so 


ij2 


BIBLE 


slow to believe; that our souls so cleave unto 
the dust; that we live so much under the influ¬ 
ence of things seen and temporal; and feel so 
little of the powers of a world to come. How 
obscure is our knowledge; how weak our faith; 
how low our hope; how wavering our obedi¬ 
ence^ how lifeless our worship. OLord clothe 
us with humility; and in this attire help us to 
present Thee the sacrifice of a broken heart 
and a contrite spirit, which Thou wilt not 
despise. 

And since thou art the God of all grace, and 
hast commanded us to ask and receive, that 
our joy may be full;—afford us more of the 
supply of' the spirit of Jesus Christ, to give 
more decision to our character, and more earn¬ 
estness to our zeal;—that with enlarged hearts 
in the way of thy commandments we may run, 
and not be weary, and walk and not faint. 
May we always realize the presence; and may 
the thought, that thine eye is upon us, operate 
as a check to sin, an excitement to duty, and a 
source of consolation. May we bear with 
firmness and submission the various trials of 
life and religion, and derive from them, all the 
advantage which they are designed to afford. 
May we glorify the Lord in the fires, and may 
every day of trouble afford us an opportunity 
to prove the truth of thy promise, the tender¬ 
ness of thy care, and the supports of thy grace. 
May tribulation work patience, and patience 
experience, and experience hope. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


63 

But how few, how limited, and how light 
are the afflictions with which we are exercis¬ 
ed. How much more reason have we to be 
thankful than to complain. Bless the Lord, O 
our souls, and all that is within us bless his holy 
name. Bless the Lord, O our souls, and for¬ 
get not all his benefits; who forgiveth all our 
iniquities; who healeth all our diseases; who 
redeemeth our lives from destruction; who 
crowneth us with loving kindness and tender 
mercies. 

We praise Thee for the protection, the sup¬ 
plies and the comforts of another day. Take 
us under thy care for the night on which we 
have entered. May no evil befall us, nor any 
plague come nigh our dwelling. Refresh our 
bodies, and renew our strength, by needful re¬ 
pose; and when .we awake* may we be still 
with God, and rise to love Thee more, and 
serve Thee better, than we ever have done; 
through our Lord and Saviour, to whom be 
glory forever and ever. Amen. 


WEDNESDAY MORNING. 

Again we lift up our eyes unto the hills from 
whence cometh our help: our help is in the 
name of the Lord God, who made heaven and 
earth. 

Thou art the Author of all existence, and 


64 


BIBLE 


the source of all blessedness. We adore Thee 
for making us capable of knowing Thee; for 
possessing us with reason, and conscience; 
and for leading us to inquire where is God my 
Maker that giveth songs in the night. We 
praise Thee for all the information with which 
we are favoured, to bring us to thyself; espe¬ 
cially the revelation of the gospel. Here we 
look into thy very heart, and see that it is the 
dwelling place of pity. Here we see thy 
thoughts towards us, and find that they are 
thoughts of peace and not of evil. Here we 
see Thee waiting to be gracious, and exalted to 
have mercy. Here Thou hast told our con¬ 
sciences how the guilty can be pardoned, the 
unholy can be sanctified, and the poor furnish¬ 
ed with unsearchable riches. 

May we be found in the number of those 
who not only hear, but know the joyful sound, 
that we may walk in the light of thy counte¬ 
nance, in thy name rejoice all the day, and in 
thy righteousness be exalted. May we take 
Thee, the God of truth, at thy word; and be¬ 
lieve the record, that Thou hast given to us 
eternal life and that this life is in thy Son. And 
since it is not only a faithful saying but worthy 
of all acceptance, that He came into the world 
to save sinners to Him may we look alone for 
salvation, and with all the earnestness, the in¬ 
finite importance of the case requires. 

And to Him may we immediately repair, re¬ 
membering how short and uncertain our time 


PRAYER BOOK. 


65 


is; and filled with holy horror at the thought 
of closing a life of precious, but neglected, pri¬ 
vileges, with the exclamation—The harvest is 
past, the summer is ended, and we are not sav¬ 
ed. We long for the experience of a present 
salvation, not only in the comforts, but in the 
renewings of the Holy Ghost. We desire to 
have nothing more to do with sin; and pray as 
sincerely to be restored to thy image, as to be 
reinstated in thy favor. We implore spiritual 
graces, as well as spiritual blessings; and pray 
that we may always value religious duties, as 
religious privileges. Deliver us from the dispo¬ 
sition of the slave, and uphold us, in all our 
goings,by thy free Spirit; and enable us to run 
in the way of thy commandments with freedom 
and delight. 

May we cherish simplicity and godly sincer¬ 
ity of character; may we be in reality before 
God, what we are in appearance before men; 
Israelites indeed, in whom is no guile. May 
we be religious, before we profess religion, and 
leave the world before we enter the church; 
that we may not be looking back after its for¬ 
bidden follies and vanities, but, with our affec¬ 
tion set on things that are above, walk worthy 
of Him who has called us to his kingdom and 
glory. 

And while we are the partakers of thy grace 
may we be also the dispensers too. Freely 
having received, may we freely give. May 
6 


66 


BIBLE 


we feel it to be the sublimest of all satisfactions , 
and count it the greatest of all rewards, to save 
a soul from death, and to hide a multitude of 
sins. And while endeavoring to do good, may 
we be prepared to bear evil. May we consi¬ 
der Him who endured the contradiction of sin¬ 
ners against himself; and if reviled, revile not 
again; or if opposed or slighted, never grow 
weary in well doing. 

But, we bless Thee, that the lines are fallen 
to us in pleasant places: we are strangers to 
the sufferings of those who have gone before 
us, and can, not only sit ourselves, but call ev¬ 
ery man his neighbor, under the vine and un¬ 
der the fig-tree. May we avail ourselves of 
our opportunities; and invite those around us 
to taste and see that the Lord is good, while it 
is called to-day, knowing how soon the night 
cometh wherein no man can work. 

O God, count us worthy of this calling, and 
fulfil all the good pleasure of thy goodness, and 
the work of faith with power; that the name 
of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us, 
and we in him, according to the grace of our 
God, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen* 


PRAYER BOOK. 


67 


WEDNESDAY EVENING. 

O Thou that hearest prayer—Through him 
who is the great Intercessor, let our prayer 
come before Thee as incense, and the lifting up 
of our hands as the evening sacrifice. We bless 
Thee as our Creator, the framer of our bodies, 
and the former of our souls within us. We 
praise Thee for the blessings of thy providence, 
which encompass us on every side, and are 
continued to us notwithstanding our unworthi¬ 
ness. Thou hast not only given us life and'fa¬ 
vor, but thy visitation hath preserved our spi¬ 
rit, and secured our personal and relative com¬ 
forts. . 

But above all, we thank Thee for thine un¬ 
speakable gift. Herein is love, not that we 
loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his 
Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Here 
our hopes find anchorage; here, believing, we 
enter into rest; here all our woes and wants 
find redress and supplies. O may our souls be 
united to this Saviour by a divine faith; he the 
head and we the members; he the vine and we 
the branches. May we be his disciples and 
learn of him; his soldiers, and war under his 
banner; his beneficiaries, and live upon his ful¬ 
ness. When we think of our transgressions 
of thy law, may we remember him who is the 


08 


BIBLE 


end of the law for righteousness. When we feel 
our sin, may we think of him whose blood 
cleanseth from all sin; and when, viewing our 
trials and duties, our weakness makes us des¬ 
pond, may we hear the voice that cries, My 
grace is sufficient for thee. 

May we be followers of him who was meek 
and lowly in heart, who pleased not himself, 
who went about doing good, who said, My 
meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and 
to finish his work. Subdue in us the selfish¬ 
ness that is so common to our depraved hearts, 
and excite in us a disposition to seek after the 
welfare of others. May sentiments of bene¬ 
volence and kindness mingle with all our 
thoughts, words, and actions; may they be¬ 
come more natural, more powerful, more im¬ 
partial; may we be good to the unthankful and 
the unworthy, that we may be the children of 
our Father who is in heaven, for he maketh his 
sun to shine on the evil and on the good, and 
sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. 

Yet may we especially do good unto them 
that are of the household of faith. May all 
who do the will of our heavenly Father, be 
dear to our hearts. May we prefer Jerusalem 
above our chief joy. Peace be within her 
walls, and prosperity within her palaces. Let 
her become a praise in the whole earth. And 
from the rising of the sun to the going down of 


PRAYER BOOK. 


69 


the same, may thy name be great among the 
Gentiles, and in every place may incense be 
offered unto thee, and a pure offering in righ¬ 
teousness. The harvest truly is great but the 
laborers are few; command their increase; and 
abundantly bless those who are already em¬ 
ployed. 

And may the sincerity of our prayers appear 
in our exertions and sacrifices. May we hon¬ 
or the Lord with our substance. In our res¬ 
pective stations may we adorn the doctrine of 
God our Saviour in all things. By every kind 
of consistent co-operation with our ministers, 
may we become helpers to the truth; and carry¬ 
ing the effects of the sermons we hear, and dis¬ 
pensing them among those who refuse to hear, 
win them without the word. May we never 
hide it in a napkin, because we have only one 
talent; but use what we have, that more may 
be given; and be concerned to obtain from the 
Judge of all, the approving sentence, of our 
having done what we could. And may we 
never despise the day of small things; never 
grow weary in well doing; but cherish with 
patience, as well as with diligence, every seri¬ 
ous conviction, every pious tendency, every 
godly impression. 

And let us not labor in vain, nor spend our 
strength for nought. May we be the honored 
instruments of saving some soul from death; 
and of producing joy, in the presence of the 


70 


BIBLE 


angels of God, over one sinner that repent- 
eth. 

Above all, render us successful among those 
who are more fully under our instruction, in¬ 
fluence, and authority. May we rule well our 
own house; and have the pleasure to see all 
the members of our own family, fellow citizens 
with the saints,, and of the household of God. 
Of whom, and through whom,' and to whom, 
are all things. To whom be glory for ever 
and ever. Amen. 



THURSDAY MORNING. 

O Lord, thou art good, and thou doest good; 
thou hast revealed thyself as nigh unto all that 
call upon thee, to all that call upon thee in 
truth. May we who now address thee, be 
found the heirs of this promise; nor suffer’us 
to incur the reproach of drawing near to thee 
with the mouth, and honor thee with our lips, 
while our hearts are far from thee. Unite our 
hearts to fear thy name; and grant that we 
may worship thee, in the spirit, and rejoice in 
Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the 
flesh. We remember that we are sinners, and 
acknowledge the multitude and aggravations of 
our offences. Conscious not only of the real- 


PRAYERBOOK. 


71 


ity, but the greatness of our guilt, we could in¬ 
dulge no hope, hadst not thou exhibited thy 
infinite benevolence, and revealed a Mediator, 
in whom thou art reconciling the world unto 
thyself, not imputing their tresspasses unto 
them. 

Thou hast not left thyself without witness, 
in that thou hast been doing us good, and giving 
us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, fill¬ 
ing our hearts with food and gladness. But 
herein is love, not that we loved God, but that 
he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propi¬ 
tiation for our sins. Blessed be thy name, we 
have all the certainty we could desire, that 
with thee there is mercy. Tliat mercy the 
publican sought, and found; that mercy, has 
never disappointed any that trusted in it; that 
mercy, at this very moment, cries to us—Ask 
and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall 
find. O Lord, we avail ourselves of thy invi¬ 
tation, and plead thy promise. According to 
the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out 
our transgressions. Create in us, also, a clean 
heart, and renew a right spirit within us. 

We hope we are convinced, that while many 
things are desirable, and some useful, one thing 
is needful; and that instead of the inquiry, 
what shall I eat? and what shall I drink? and 
wherewithal shall I be clothed? the supreme 
anxiousness of the soul is,—what must I do to 


72 


BIBLE 


be saved? O visit us with thy salvation; in 
the illumination of the mind, and the sanctifica¬ 
tion of the life; in all the comforts of the Holy 
Ghost, and in all the fruits of the spirit. May 
we willingly obey all thy commands, and 
cheerfully submit to all thy appointments. In 
the annihilation of, self-will, and in the temper 
of implicit devotedness, may we, as to every 
duty, say, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? 
And as to every event,—here I am, let him do 
what seemeth him good. Grant us piety and 
wisdom to accommodate ourselves to the al¬ 
lotments of life; and enable us to maintain a 
Christian temper and behaviour in all the chang¬ 
ing scenes of providence, that all things may 
work together, if not for our gratification, yet 
for our good. 

May we disengage ourselves from the pre¬ 
sent evil world, and be received and acknow¬ 
ledged as the sons and daughters of the Lord 
Almighty. May the rightequs be our attrac¬ 
tions and delight; and though few in number, 
and despised by the foolish and wicked, may 
we go with them, because God is with them: 
and like Moses may we choose rather to suffer 
affliction with the people of God, than enjoy 
the pleasure of sin for a season. 

May we walk by faith, and not by sight. 
May we weigh both worlds, and may the fu¬ 
ture and the eternal, preponderate; and may 


PRAYER BOOK. 


73 


this be our growing experience as well as pro¬ 
fession—as for me, I will behold thy face in 
righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake 
with thy likeness. 

By thy mercies we renew this morning the 
consecration of Ourselves to thy service. Go 
forth with us into the concerns of the day. 
Keep us in all our ways. Innumerable are 
our dangers; but the greatest of all is sin. Up¬ 
hold our goings therefore in thy word, and let 
no iniquity have dominion over us. May we 
abstain from all appearance of evil; and the 
very God of peace sanctify us wholly; and 
may our whole spirit, and soul, and body, be 
preserved blameless unto the coming of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 

And to God only wise, the Father, the Son, 
and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honor and 
praise, for ever and ever. Amen. 


THURSDAY EVENING. 

0 God, thy greatness is unsearchable. Thy 
name is most excellent in all the earth. Thou 
hast set thy glory above the heavens. Thou¬ 
sands minister unto thee, and ten thousand 
times ten thousand stand before thee. We feel 
ourselves in thine awful presence to be nothing, 
less than nothing and vanity; nor do we pre- 


74 


BIBLE 


sume to approach thee, because we are deserv¬ 
ing of thy notice—for we have sinned—we 
have incurred thy righteous displeasure—we 
acknowledge that thou art justified when thou 
speakest, and clear when thou judgest. 

But our necessities compel us; and thy pro¬ 
mises encourage us. Thou art nigh unto them 
that are of a broken heart, and savest such as 
be of a contrite spirit. Thou hast provided and 
revealed a Mediator, who has not only obeyed 
but magnified the law, and made it honorable; 
and thou hast made us accepted in the beloved. 
And we behold an innumerable multitude re¬ 
turning from thy throne, successful, rejoicing, 
and encouraging us to go forward. They were 
not, though all guilt and indigence, refused, or 
upbraided; but freely obtained pardon, and 
holiness, and righteousness, and strength, and 
were blessed with all spiritual blessings in hea¬ 
venly places in Christ. 

O look Thou upon us, and be merciful unto 
us, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy 
name. Convince us of sin in its penalty, and 
in its pollution; and may we mourn over it 
with a godly sorrow. Give us that faith by 
which we shall be enabled to believe on the 
Lord Jesus Christ; and believing, have life 
through his name. 

And may we not only have life, but have it 
more abundantly. We often question the re- 


PRAYER BOOK. 


75 


ality of our grace; but the imperfections of 
our religion are too obvious, not to be acknow¬ 
ledged, and too great not to be deplored. Our 
souls cleave unto the dust; quicken thou us 
according to thy word. Strengthen in us the 
things that are ready to die. May we not only 
live in the spirit, but walk in the spirit. By 
holy resemblances, may we put on the Lord 
Jesus Christ; may the same mind be in us 
which was also in him; and may we feel it to 
be our dignity and delight to go about doing 
good. 

And as he suffered for us, leaving us an ex¬ 
ample, that we should tread in his steps, may 
we learn to suffer like him. When reviled,may 
we revile not again, but commit ourselves to 
him that judgeth righteously. Whoever may 
be the instrument of our grief, may we never 
lose sight of an overruling agency, in preparing 
and presenting it; but be able to say—The 
cup which my Father giveth me, shall I not 
drink it? In our patience inay we possess our 
souls, that we may be calm to inquire, where¬ 
fore thou contendest with us; that w r eeping 
may not hinder sowing, nor sorrow duty. 

We live in a world of changes, and have 
here no continuing city; may we seek one to 
come, and have our minds kept in perfect 
peace, being staid upon God. Be with us to 
the end of our journey; and after honoring 


76 


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thee by the life we have lived, may we glorify 
thee by the death we shall die. When heart 
and flesh fail, be thou the strength of our heart 
and our portion for ever; at death may we fall 
asleep in Jesus, and in the morning of the re¬ 
surrection may He change our vile body, that 
it may be fashioned like his own glorious body, 
and so may we be for ever with the Lord. 

Who can understand his errors? Forgive, O 
God, the sins of the past day, in thought, word 
and deed, against thy divine majesty. We 
bless thee for our preservation, in our going 
out and our coming in, and in all our ways— 
and we bless thee for all the supplies and in¬ 
dulgences which thy good providence has af¬ 
forded us. 

And now, O thou keeper of Israel, we com¬ 
mit our souls and our bodies to thy allsuflicient 
care. Suffer no evil to befall our persons, and 
no plague to come nigh our dwelling. May 
our sleep be sweet—or if thou holdest our 
eyes waking, may we remember thee, upon our 
bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. 

And with the innumerable company, who 
never slumber nor sleep, and who rest not day 
and night, we would join in ascribing blessing, 
and honor, and glory, and power, unto Him 
that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb 
forever and ever. Amen. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


77 


FRIDAY MORNING. 

O Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, the 
most high over all the earth. When we con¬ 
sider thy majesty and thy purity, and reflect 
upon our meanness and guilt, how shall we 
come before the Lord, or bow before the high 
God? We are unworthy of thy notice, and 
have rendered ourselves justly obnoxious to 
the curse of thy holy law—and wert Thou to 
judge us according to Our desert—the most in¬ 
nocent periods of our life, and the devoutest 
services in which w r e have ever been engaged, 
would make us shrink back with dread and de¬ 
spair from thy presence. But we are encourag¬ 
ed to approach Thee, by the revelation Thou 
hast given us of thyself as the Lord God gra¬ 
cious and merciful, the invitations and promi¬ 
ses of thy word, and the meditation ofthy dear 
Son. We rejoice that He put away sin, by 
the sacrifice of Himself, and being raised from 
the dead entered into the holy place, there to 
appear in the presence of God for us. We re¬ 
joice that we have now an Advocate with the 
Father to plead our cause, and a great High 
Priest over the house of God, to introduce our 
persons and our services. 

May we therefore draw near in full assur¬ 
ance of faith, believing that all things are now 
ready; that we are as welcome, as we are 


78 


BIBLE 


needy; and that the blessings we implore, are 
as gracious, as they are great. Yea, Thou de~ 
lightest in mercy, and hast not only permitted, 
but commanded us to ask, and receive, that 
our joy may be full. O let us not refuse to be 
comforted; let us not reject the counsel of God 
against ourselves. Suffer us not after provok¬ 
ing Thee, by our rebellion, to offend Thee, still 
more by our unbelief. May we honor thy 
goodness, by our confidence in thy veracity, 
and come and take of the water of life freely. 
May we wait for no qualifications, to entitle us 
to those provisions, which must be bought with¬ 
out money, and without price; but may we 
come as we are—guilty to be justified, unholy 
to be renewed, blind to be enlightened, weak 
to be strengthened, and indigent to be relieved 
and enriched. As Thou art presenting to us, 
in the offers of the gospel, thy unspeakable 
gift, may we receive Christ Jesus the Lord. 
May we receive Him immediately without de¬ 
lay, cordially without reluctance, and impar¬ 
tially without exception—feeling our need of, 
and^acquiescing in all his offices, relations, in¬ 
fluences, and blessings. 

As Thou art well pleased in thy beloved Son, 
may it appear that we are well pleased with 
Him; may we love his salvation, and glory in 
his cross; may we admire his character and 
pant after his likeness. May we judge of our 
union with Him, by our being new creatures* 


PRAYERBOOK. 


79 


and of our freedom from all condemnation, by 
our walking not after the flesh, but after the 
Spirit. May we try our principles by our 
practice, and our faith by our works. May the 
origin and certainty of our hope, appear in its 
tendency—may it purify us from sin, wean us 
from the world, and cause us to live with our 
conversation in heaven. 

And blessed with a well founded persuasion, 
that when He, who is our life, shall appear, we 
shall also appear with him in glory; may we 
bear with patience, the trials attached to this 
present time; and weep as if we wept not. 
And knowing our obligations to thy grace, 
which has delivered our souls from the lowest 
hell, and its infallibly conducting us to such a 
vastness of felicity, may we be principally con¬ 
cerned to walk before the Lord in the land of 
the living, and to show forth all His praise. 
Whether therefore we eat or drink, or what¬ 
ever we do, may we do all to the glory of God. 

But we cannot trust in our own hearts; we 
dare not rely upon our convictions and purpo¬ 
ses—they have often betrayed us. We can 
only serve thee in thy own strength. We can 
walk no farther than Thou leadest us; we can 
stand no longer than Thou holdest us. We 
therefore renounce self-dependence; and de¬ 
sire to be strong in the Lord, and in the pow¬ 
er of his might. Let thy grace be sufficient 
for us in the duties and events of the day, into 


80 


BIBLE 


which we have entered. May we abide with 
God in our respective callings. Whether we 
are alone, or in company, may we be anxious 
to gain good, and to do good. May we be 
serious without gloom, and cheerful without 
levity. 

And, now unto Him that is able to keep us 
from falling, and to present us faultless before 
the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; 
to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory 
and majesty, dominion and power, both now 
and ever. Amen. 



FRIDAY EVENING. 

O God, the day is thine, the night also is 
thine. Thou makest the outgoings of the morn¬ 
ing and evening to rejoice. The heavens de¬ 
clare thy glory—the earth is full of thy riches, 
and so is the great and wide sea. Thou art 
the maker, and sustainer, and proprietor of all 
things. We are the creatures of thy power, 
and the beneficiaries of thy bounty. But we 
have sinned against heaven and before Thee, 
and not worthy of the least of all the mercies, 
and of all the truth which Thou hast showed 
us. We are of those that rebel against the 
light; for we have resisted the dictates of our 
consciences, the demands of thy law, the ad- 


PRAYER BOOK. 


81 


monitions of thy providence, and the calls of 
the gospel of peace. We have made light of 
those things which angels desire to look into; 
we have neglected thy great salvation, and de¬ 
serve that thy wrath should come upon us, as 
the children of disobedience. 

But we are in the land of the living, and un¬ 
der a dispensation of hope. We flee for refuge 
to that dear Saviour, who said, Deliver him 
from going down into the pit; I have found a 
ransom; and who himself bore our sin in his 
own body on the tree. O that we may be 
found in him, and know the power of his re¬ 
surrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, 
being made conformable unto his death. May 
we not only be justified by his blood, and saved 
from wrath through Him; but may we derive 
from him an influence, that shall subdue our 
iniquities, and change us into his own image, 
from glory to glory, as by the spirit of the 
Lord. 

Deliver us, we pray Thee, from the views 
and dispositions, of men of the world, who have 
their portion in this life. May we never look 
for that on earth, which can only be found in 
heaven. Born from above, and bound for glo¬ 
ry, may we feel the heart of a stranger, and 
pass the time of our sojourning here' in fear. 
Reminded—and, O, how often are we remind¬ 
ed—that here we have no continuing city, may 
we seek one to come; and in all the changing 
7 


82 


BIBLE 


scenes of time, know in ourselves, that in hea^ 
ven, we have a better and an enduring sub¬ 
stance. 

In our journevings through a vale of tears, 
cast us not away from thy presence, and take 
not thy Holy Spirit from us. Be Thou always 
within sight, or within call; for how often shall 
we have to address Thee? To thy wisdom we 
must repair for direction, or we shall every 
moment go astray. Thy power is our only 
safety. O Thou that savest by thy right hand 
them that put then- trust in Thee, from those 
that rise up against them, keep us as the apple 
of the eye, and hide us under the shadow of 
thy wing. Be Thou our strength in weakness, 
and our victory in conflict. We dare not say, 
we never will deny Thee; but O grant that 
we never may. Establish our hearts with 
grace, and deliver our feet from falling: and 
may we be sincere and without offence, until 
the day of Christ. 

These are great blessings for us to ask; but 
we are undone forever without them, and Thou 
hast encouraged us to hope. We plead thy 
command and thy promises. Ask, and it shall 
be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock 
and it shall be opened unto you. Xo suppli¬ 
ant, however unworthy, or guilty, was ever 
rejected, or insulted at thy footstool; and we 
come in the name of Him who made interces¬ 
sion for the transgression. Him Thou hearest 


PRAYER BOOK. 


83 


always, and to Him, with the Father, and the 
Holy Spirit, be praises for ever and ever.— 
Amen. 


SATURDAY MORNING, 

O God, Thou art great and greatly to be 
feared. And Thou art, also, merciful and gra¬ 
cious, long-suffering,and abundant in goodness 
and in truth. May we so feel our sinfulness, 
as to be humbled in the dust before Thee, and 
filled with self-condemnation and self-despair; 
but let us not shrink back from thy presence, 
and be afraid to place our faith and hope in 
God. Help us to remember, that if we have 
no claim, on the footing of desert, we can 
plead thy promise, and invitation; and that if 
the blessings we want are infinitely great, they 
are dispensed as gifts, where freeness delights 
in the unworthiness of the receiver. 

We, therefore, would neither.deny nor pal¬ 
liate our guilt. We know there is evil enough 
in one sin to plunge us into perdition; but our 
offences are more in number than the sand; 
and they have been attended with every ag¬ 
gravation, derivable from light and love, means 
and mercies. Thou hast called, and we have 
refused; Thou hast stretched out thy hand and 
we have not regarded. How often hast Thou 


84 


BIBLE 


wooed and awed, blessed and chastised us; 
and yet we refused to return. O Lord, par¬ 
don our iniquity, for it is great. Let the free 
gift be of many offences unto justification of 
life; and where sin has abounded, grace may 
much more abound. 

And as we cannot serve or enjoy Thee, un¬ 
less our nature be changed, as well as our 
state, O save us by the washing of regenera¬ 
tion, and by the renewing of the Holy Ghost. 
Deliver us from the dominion, as well as the 
curse of sin; and from the love of it, as well 
as the dominion. May we reckon ourselves 
to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. May we view 
holiness as the beauty and dignity of the soul, 
and long after greater degrees of conformity 
to the will and the image of God. May our 
hope purify us, and our religious comforts stim¬ 
ulate, as well as relieve. May we never slum¬ 
ber, and lose our roll; never sleep, and like 
Saul be robbed of our spear and our cruse. 
May we watch and pray, lest we enter into 
temptation. When we grow indolent and 
careless, awaken us by lively apprehensions of 
thy presence, and of the eternal world, on the 
borders of which we perpetually move; may 
we feel the infinite importance of improving 
the few transient periods, intervening between 
us and death; may we daily and hourly ans¬ 
wer some of the grand purposes of life and re- 


PRAYER BOOK. 


85 


ligion. May every place and every company 
be the better for us. May we diffuse know¬ 
ledge and happiness by our conversation, ex¬ 
ample, and influence; and like our Lord and 
Saviour go about doing good. 

Whatever advantages we possess, may we 
^ never forget, that this is not our rest. May 
we arise and depart heiice, not by quitting our 
stations, or undervaluing the- duties attached 
to them, but by rising above the world, as our 
portion, setting our affections on things above, 
and having our conversation in heaven. Ex¬ 
pecting a succession of encounters in passing 
through an enemy’s land, may we take to us 
the whole armour of God; and looking for 
thorns and briars in our marchings through a 
wilderness, may our feet be shod with the pre¬ 
paration of the gospel of peace. 

Fit for every changing,scene; and in all the 
events that would alarm or perplex us, may 
our minds be stayed upon God, and our tho’ts 
be established. May we remember that trials 
from thy hand are blessings in disguise, and 
that when they .come to be unveiled, and we 
can view them in their designs and effects, they 
will draw forth our gratitude and praise. Till 
we can walk by sight, enable us to walk by 
faith, and may nothing weaken our persuasion, 
that all thy ways are mercy and truth to thy 
people; and that all things work together for 
good to them that love Thee, 


86 


BIBLE 


We would not forget those who are in afflic¬ 
tion—do not Thou, O God, forget them. What¬ 
ever be their losses or distress, help them to 
say, Yet the Lord thinketh upon me: and may 
they know, that thy thoughts toward them are 
thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to bring them 
to an expected end, though it may be by a 
painful passage. Comfort those who are on 
beds of languishing. Enter the house of 
mourning. Be the Father of the fatherless, 
and the Husband of the widow, and the friend 
and helper of the poor and needy—and have 
mercy upon all men. And to thy holy name, 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be present and 
everlasting praises. Amen. 



SATURDAY EVENING. 


0 God—Thou art glorious in holiness, tear¬ 


ful in praises, continually doing wonders. And 
it is not one of the least of thy wonderful 
works, that we are yet on this side an awful 
eternity, and not reaping the due reward of 
our deeds. We look on each other this even¬ 
ing with astonishment, and exclaim, it is the 
Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed. 
Our whole life has been a scene of provocation 
against thy divine majesty; and if we with all 
our ignorance and self-love, can see so much 


PRAYER BOOK. 


87 


depravity in ourselves, what must have pre¬ 
sented itself to thy view—O Thou who know- 
est all things, in whose sight the very heavens 
are not clean, and who seest more pollution, 
even in our duties, than we ever found in our 
sins! There is no health in us. We have no 
works or worthiness to excite thy regard; and 
if ever we are saved, it must be according to 
thy own purpose and grace, given us in Christ 
Jesus, before the world began. 

We come to Thee in the dear name of Him 
who loved us, and gave himself for us; who 
magnified the law and made it honorable; who 
put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; and 
now ever liveth to make intercession for us. 
This foundation, Thou thyself hast laid in Zion, 
and thy word assures us, that whosoever be¬ 
lie veth on him, shall not be confounded. We 
hope our dependence upon Him is not a vain 
reliance, because we love his service as well 
as his sacrifice, and long to wear his image, as 
well as to be justified by his blood. We hope 
we are willing to deny ourselves, arid take up 
our cross and follow Him—in the regeneration 
—and whithersoever he goeth. 

O make us partakers of that salvation which 
is designed to deliver us from our sins, and to 
bring us into the glorious liberty of the chil¬ 
dren^ of God. Put thy laws into our minds, 
and write them in our hearts, and render our 
obedience to thy will holily natural and de- 


88 


BIBLE 


lightful to us. Rectify all our principles, and 
give us clear and consistent, and influential 
views of divine truth. May we never under¬ 
value or neglect any part of thy revealed will; 
but regard the practice the gospel enjoins, as 
well as the doctrine it exhibits; prize its com¬ 
mands as well as its promises; and cultivate 
such a disposition, as will render eveiy reli¬ 
gious duty a spiritual privilege. 

Santify us in every relation, office, transac¬ 
tion, and condition in life. Keep us, if we 
prosper, from being exalted above measure; 
and if exercised with adversity, suffer us not 
to be swallowed up of overmuch sorrow. May 
divine grace preserve the ballanee of the mind 
in all our varying circumstances, and teach us, 
in whatsoever state we are, not only to be 
content, but to glorify God, and be an edifying 
example to those around us. 

May we always be principally concerned 
for soul-prosperity, and be willing to submit to 
any means, however trying, that thy wisdom 
shall judge necessary,, to promote and secure 
it. May we so pass through things temporal, 
as not to miss those that are eternal, at last, 
or to lose sight of them, for a moment, now. 
Too long have our feet and our hands been in 
the mire; 0 disengage us, purify us, elevate 
us; our souls cleave unto the dust, quicken 
Thou us according to thy word. May none 
of our mercies be lost upon us; but may they 


PRAYER BOOK. 


89 


prove the means of, exciting our gratitude, 
warming our devotion, and encouraging our 
confidence. May none of our trials be unim¬ 
proved—may they all embitter sin, wean us 
from the world, and endear to us the scriptures, 
the throne of grace, and the sympathy of that 
Almighty friend who is touched with the feel¬ 
ing of our infirmities. 

May none of our religious opportunities be 
unsanctified. May we be thankful for the fre¬ 
quency of their recurrence; may we gladly 
avail ourselves of them; and instead of resting 
in the mere outward performance, may we be 
concerned to worship Thee, in spirit and in 
truth, and to obtain from thy word, all the be¬ 
nefits it is intended and adapted to afford. 

For this purpose we implore thy blessing on 
the solemnities of the sabbath, which is so soon 
to open upon us^ May we in the morning 
aw r ake with ‘Thee, and begin, go through, and 
end the day in thy faith, fear, and love. May 
w*e have satisfactory evidence in our ow r n 
minds, that w r e do not wait upon Thee in vain; 
and may our profiting appear unto all men. 

And thus by all the discipline of thy family, 
and the ordinances of thy house, may we grow 
in grace, and in our meetness for the inherit¬ 
ance of the saints in light. And when the eve¬ 
ning of life itself shairarrive, and we are called 
to retreat from every mortal care, and wo 


90 


BIBLE 


close the period of toil and trouble, by falling 
asleep in Jesus—and open our eyes upon the 
rest that remains for the people of God, and 
enter the temple above, to go no more out. 

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, , and 
the love of God, and the communion of the 
Holy Ghost, be with us all, now and for ever¬ 
more. Amen. 


A MORNING PRAYER 
at the Family Alter. 

O Thou, the fountain and source of light and 
life, the giver of every good and perfect gift,— 
the hearer and answerer of prayer,—the father 
of mercy, and the God of love. Thou hast 
raised us in the light of a new day, enjoying 
health and strength, and peace of mind. Thou 
hast blessed us with food and raiment, and pro¬ 
vided every necessary thing for our dying bo¬ 
dies. 0 wilt thou feed our souls with heaven¬ 
ly bread, and enrobe them with the spotless 
righteousness of Jesus. And whilst thou art 
withdrawing the curtains of night, and letting 
in the bright beams of the sun of day, to cheer 
and gladden a slumbering world, O wilt Thou 
withdraw darkness from our minds, and illumi¬ 
nate our benighted souls with the brighter 


PRAYER BOOK. 


91 


beams of the sun of Righteousness. Shed a- 
broad thy love in our hearts, and build us up 
in the most holy faith of the Son of God. Bless 
us with all spiritual blessings, in Christ Jesus, 
in heavenly places. Help us to live unto thee, 
by whom we do live, and to walk in newness 
of life in Him, who hath died to redeem us, 
who laid down his life a ransom for many—the 
just for the unjust,—that we, who are guilty, 
might find peace and pardon, and joy in be¬ 
lieving. Help us to spend and be spent in thy 
service, that whatsoever we do, whether we 
eat or drink,—all may be done to the glory of 
thy name. Help us to be up and doing, while 
it is called,-—to-day: remembering, that the 
night of death is fast approaching, in which no 
man can work. O may we be diligent in bu¬ 
siness, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Help 
us to grow in grace, and in the knowledge of 
the truth, as it is in J.esus Christ thy son; and 
may each revolving, that brings us nearer to 
the silent grave, bring us nearer and nearer to 
the home of the blest. 

Bless with us, this morning, all our dear 
friends and relations. 0 may they be partakers 
of thy loving kindness, thy tender mercy, and 
thine everlasting Salvation. If any of them are 
languishing on beds of sickness; O may thy 
gentle’ bosom be the pillow of their aching 
heads, and thy healing hand, their comforting 
friend. If any of them are out of the ark of 


92 


BIBLE 


safety, 0 do thou gather them in before the 
storms of death envelope their souls in the night 
of the grave. O snatch them as brands from 
everlasting burning. Bless them in their bas¬ 
ket and in their store, in their downlyings and 
uprisings, their outgoings and incomings:—go 
with them wheresoever they go, and stay with 
them where they stay. Be with them in the 
down-hill of life; may their suns go down in 
tranquility, and the morn of the Resurrection 
find them at thy right hand. Bless the poor 
and needy, the widow and orphan, the sick and 
dying, and all the suns and daughters of afflic¬ 
tion: may all such look unto thee, and have 
their wants supplied out of thy rich fullness; 
yea, find in thee a friend, that sticketh closer 
than a brother. Bless thy Ministering and 
Missionary servants, with a double portion of 
thy Holy Spirit. May they be men of clean 
hands and pure hearts, rightly dividing the 
words of eternal life, and that they may give 
to Saint and Sinner, their portion in due sea¬ 
son. And amid all their trials and difficulties, 
may they learn to know by happy experience, 
that thy grace is sufficient for them, and through 
their instrumentality, may all the nations of 
the earth be brought to a knowledge of the 
truth, as it is in Jesus. May the wilderness 
and solitary place be glad for them, and the 
desert rejoice, and bud and blossom as the rose. 

Bless our own happy country; may we long 
be permitted to sit beneath our own vine and 


PRAYER BOOK. 


93 


fig-tree,—to worship our God, according to the 
dictates of our own consciences, and none to* 
molest or make us afraid. 

We leave us on thy mercy; forgive our sins. 
Our only hope is in thee, what wait we for but 
thy blessing; O in mercy bestow it. Let thy 
preserving goodness be over us this day. Go 
with us through all the journey of this vail of 
tears; and when heart and flesh shall have 
fainted and failed*us; may we find some hum¬ 
ble mansion at thy right hand, to go no more 
out, but be ever with the Lord. And to thy 
dear Name, Father, Son, and blessed Spirit, 

‘ shall be present and everlasting praises! Amen. 


AN EVENING PRAYER 
at the Family Alter. 

O Thou, eternal unchangable, and allwise 
Being, who swayest an undivided septre over 
the armies of Heaven and doist thy will among 
the inhabitance of the Earth. Before whom 
angels, and the spirits of the just made perfect 
continually bow, would we bow and take some 
humble part in that glorious worship, which 
ascribeth all honor, and praise, and power, and 
dominion, to God and the Lamb forever. Thou 
hast brought us in safety to the close of anoth- 


94 


BIBLE 


er day, and we would appear in thy presence, 
^ bowed around the family alter, to offer an ac¬ 
ceptable sacrifice to God, the living God. Put 
thy spirit within us, that we may worship thee 
in spirit and in truth, for only such can worship 
thee acceptably. May we be enabled to make 
a profitable approach unto thee. O may we 
come in humbleness of heart, with meek and 
lowly spirits. And wilt thou draw near unto 
us, and be in our midst to bless us, according 
to the precious promise; and as thou hast pre¬ 
served us through the day, wilt thou also pre¬ 
serve us through the night; let thy watchful 
providepce be over us, and thine everlasting 
arms beneath and around us. May we rest 
in safety, beneath the shadow of thy wing, and 
in the hollow of thy hand. Suffer not our beds 
to be our graves, nor our sleep, the sleep of 
death: but may our sleep be sweet and re¬ 
freshing, and may the light of another day be 
permited to dawn upon our existance, and we 
be raised, to bless and praise the name of the 
God of our Salvation. 

Be with us through all the changing scenes 
of mortality. Bless us in the inner man, with 
all spiritual blessing, that we may grow in grace 
as we advance in years, and as times drawing 
us nearer to the silent house, appointed for all 
living: O may thy spirit draw our souls nearer 
to that house, not made with hands, eternal in 
the Heavens. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


95 


Bless all thy dear people of every name and 
nation. Build up the Redeemers Kingdom^ 
every where; and may thy will be done on 
Earth as it is done in Heaven. Bless all means 
of grace,—all good societies,—and institutions, 
and what ever tends to the glory of thy name. 

We leave us on thy mercy, with all our be¬ 
loved friends and relations,—all who have ask¬ 
ed an interest in our prayers,—and all for 
whom, it is our duty to pray, in all times of 
trouble, may they look unto thee, and find grace 
to help in every time of need. 

Blessed God, we pray for the forgiveness of 
our sins; 0 blot them from the book of thy re- 
memberence, to be remembered no more for¬ 
ever. May our sin's, that are as scarlet, be 
made like wool, and that are as crimson, be 
made like snow; and seperate we pray thee, 
our transgressions from us, as far as the East 
is from the West. O wash all our works in 
Jesus’ blood; and purify us, and make us a pe¬ 
culiar people, zealous of good works; that 
when the wild blasts of life’s winter, shall 
sweep across the bosom of existence, we may 
be prepared to encounter its withering scatli, 
and have the full assurance of refuge beneath 
the shelter of the Rock, that is taller than we. 

And when lifes wintry day shall have pass¬ 
ed, be with us as we walk the gloomy valley 
and shadow of death. 0 may thy rod and staff 
comfort us; and when our feet dip in the Jor- 


96 


BIBLE 


don of death, may its cold waves roll back at 
| the touch, and our peaceful spirits be permit¬ 
ted to pass gently, and undisturbed by the 
tempter, to the Canaan of everlasting rest. 

These mercies and favors we ask, in the 
name and for the sake of our glorified Saviour, 
who is worthy with the Father, and everbless- 
ed Spirit, to receive present and everlasting 
praises. Amen. 


CRANMER’S PRAYER, 

Before he was brought to the stake , in the time 
of the Reformation. 

Aged 67. 

O Father of Heaven! O Son of God! Re¬ 
deemer of the world! O Holy Ghost! Three 
persons and one God, have mercy on me, most 
wretched caitiff, and miserable sinner! I have 
offended against heaven and earth, more than 
tongue can express. Whither then may I go, 
or where shall I fly! To heaven I am ashamed 
to lift up my eyes, and in earth I find no place 
of refuge or souccour. To Thee, therefore, 0 
Lord, do I run: to Thee I humble myself. 0 
Lord my God! my sins be great, but yet have 
mercy on me, for thy great mercy. The great 
mystery, that God became man, was not 



PRAYER BOOK. 


97 


wrought for little of few offences. Thou didst 
not give thy Son, 0 Heavenly Father, unto 
death, for small sins only, but for all the great¬ 
est sins in the world; so that the sinner may 
return to Thee with his whole heart, as I do 
at this present. Wherefore, have mercy on 
me, O God, whose property it is, always to 
have mercy. I crave nothing for my own 
merits, but for Thy name’s sake, that it may 
be hallowed thereby; and for thy dear Son, 
Jesus Christ’s sake. 

Cranmer, on one occasion signed several 
articles of recantation, for which he sorely re¬ 
pented, and when he was executed, he put his 
right hand into the flames, and burned it first, 
saying,—“this unworthy right hand.” And 
repeated it several times. 



REY. MR. BRUCE’S PRAYER; 

The Father of the Persecuted Family. 

Yea, for Zion’s sake, will I not hold my 
peace, Holy Father, and for Jerusalem’s sake, 
I will not rest, until the day of her mercy come. 
Hast thou forsaken Zion, O Lord? hast thou 
forgotten the people of thy love? Our temples 
are desolate: the courts of thy holiness are de¬ 
filed: thy children are scattered on themoun- 


98 


BIBLE 


tains: they weep and cry in the desert. The 
harp of their sorrow hangs on the willow, and 
Aiourns to the blast of the wilderness: the 
wastes of nature are watered with their tears: 
their blood is poured fourth, and there is none 
to pity them! Surely we are a sinful nation; 
a people laden with iniquity. We have forsa¬ 
ken thee: we have provoked the Holy One of 
Israel to anger. But O, merciful and Holy 
One! God of salvation! look down from hea¬ 
ven, and behold from the habitation of thy holi¬ 
ness; and let the bow of thy mercy be seen 
in the wilderness. Thou wilt not forsake us. 
I know thy church is graven on the palms of 
thy hands: her walls are continually before 
thee; and the point of every weapon that is 
lifted against her wilt thou at length turn into 
the soul of him that lifted it. Haste, 0 God 
and Father to deliver us! Turn the hand of 
oppression from our country, that thy people 
may dwell in freedom and peace. And while 
thou seest meet that they should wander on 
the mountains, and suffer in the cause of their 
country, 0 give them patience, and fortitude, 
and strength. Let them take comfort that in 
all their afflictions the Captain of their salva¬ 
tion is afflicted, and that the angel of thy pres¬ 
ence shall save them. Stretch over them the 
shield of thine omnipotence: guide the path of 
their trials by thine all-comprehending wisdom: 
fill their hearts with thine inexhaustible love: 
save them, 0 Lord! Save and support them in 


PRAYER BOOK. 


99 


death! And O, Father! when the day of thy 
vengeance arriveth, and the year of restitution 
to the spoilers of our land doth come, have 
mercy on thpse who have had no mercy on 
us. Soften the hardness of their hearts: open 
the blindness of their eyes. 0, cast them not 
away from thy presence forever! For who 
among them shall dwell with everlasting fire? 
who among them shall dwell with everlasting 
burnings ? 



A PRAYER BY SCOUGAL. 

infinite and Eternal Majesty, author and 
fountain of being and blessedness, how little do 
we poor sinful creatures know of thee, or the 
way to serve and please thee! we talk of re¬ 
ligion, and pretend unto it; but, alas! how few 
are there that know ahd. consider what it 
means! how easy do we mistake the affections 
of our nature, and issues of self-love, for those 
divine graces which alone can render us ac¬ 
ceptable in thy sight! it may justly grieve me 
to consider, that I should have wandered so 
long, and contented myself so often with vain 
shadow's, and false images of piety and religion; 
yet I cannot but acknowledge and adore thy 
goodness, who hast been pleased, in some mea¬ 
sure, to open mine eyes, and let me see what 
it is at which I ought to aim. I rejoice to con- 


100 


BIBLE 


sider what mighty improvements my nature is 
capable of, and what a divine temper of spirit 
doth shine in those whom thou art pleased to 
choose, and causest to appoint unto thee.— 
Blessed be thine infinite mercy, who sentest 
thine own Son to dwell among men, and in¬ 
struct them by his example, as well as his laws, 
giving them a perfect pattern of what they 
ought to be. O that the holy life of the blessed 
Jesus may be always in my thoughts, and be¬ 
fore mine eyes, till I receive a deep sense and 
impression of those excellent graces that shin¬ 
ed so eminently in him; and let me never 
cease my endeavors, until that new and divine 
nature prevail in my soul, and Christ be form¬ 
ed within me. 



ANOTHER BY SCOUGAL. 

Good God! what a mighty felicity is this to 
which we are called! how graciously hast thou 
joined our duty and happiness together, and 
prescribed that for our work, the performance 
whereof is a great reward! and shall such silly 
worms be advanced to so great a height? wilt 
thou allow us to raise our eyes to thee? wilt 
thou admit and accept our affection? shall we 
receive the impression of thy divine excellen¬ 
cies, by beholding and admiring them, and par- 


PRAYER BOOK. 


101 


take of thy infinite blessedness and glory, by 
loving thee, and rejoicing in them? O the hap¬ 
piness of those souls that have broken the fet¬ 
ters of self-love; and disentangled their affec¬ 
tions from every narrow and particular good, 
whose understandings are enlightened by thy 
holy spirit, and their wills enlarged to the ex¬ 
tent of thine, who love thee above all things, 
and all mankind for thy sake? I am persuaded, 
O God, I am persuaded that I can never be 
happy, till my carnal and corrupt affections be 
mortified, and the pride and vanity of my spirit 
be subdued, and till I come seriously to des¬ 
pise the world, and think nothing of myself. 
But, O when shall it once be! O when wilt 
thou come unto me, and satisfy my soul with 
thy likeness, making me holy as thou art holy, 
even in all manner of conversation! hast thou 
given me a prospect of so great a felicity, and 
wilt thou not bring me unto it? hast thou ex¬ 
cited these desires in.my soul, and wilt thou 
not also satisfy them? O teach me to do thy 
will, for thou art my God, thy spirit is good, 
lead me unto the land of uprightness. Quick¬ 
en me, O Lord, for thy name’s sake, and per¬ 
fect that which concerneth me; thy mercy, O 
Lord, endureth for ever; forsake not the works 
of thine own hands.. 


102 


BIBLE 


ANOTHER BY SCOUGAL. 

0 most gracious God, father and fountain of 
mercy and goodness, who hast blessed us with 
the knowledge of our happiness, and the way 
.that leadeth unto it, excite in our souls such 
ardent desires after the one, as may put us 
forth to the diligent prosecution of the other. 
Let us neither presume on our own strength, 
nor distrust thy divine assistance; but while 
we are doing our utmost endeavors, teach us 
still to depend on thee for success. Open our 
eyes, O God, and teach us out of thy law. 
Bless us with an exact and tender sense of our 
duty, and a knowledge to discern perverse 
things. O that our ways were diverted to 
keep thy statutes, then shall we not be ashamed 
when we have respect unto all thy command¬ 
ments. Possess our hearts with a generous 
and holy, disdain of all those poor enjoyments 
which this world holdeth out to allure us, that 
they may never be able to inveigle our affec¬ 
tions, or betray us into any sin: turn- away 
our eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken 
thou us in thy law. Fill our souls with such 
a deep sense and full persuasion of those great 
truths which thou hast revealed in the gospel, 
as may influence and regulate our whole con¬ 
versation, and that the life which we hence¬ 
forth live in the flesh, we may live through 


PRAYERBOOK. 


103 


faith in the Son of God. O that the infinite 
perfections of thy blessed nature, and the as¬ 
tonishing expressions of thy goodness and love, 
may conquer and overpower our hearts that 
they may be constantly rising toward thee in 
flames of devoutest affection, and enlarging 
themselves in sincere and cordial love towards 
all the world for thy sake; and that we may 
cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and 
spirit, perfecting holiness in thy fear, without 
which we can never hope to behold and enjoy 
Thee. Finally, O God, grant that the consid¬ 
eration of what thou art, and what we our¬ 
selves are, may both humble and lay us low r 
before thee, and also stir up in us the strongest 
and most ardent aspirations toward thee. We 
desire to resign and give up ourselves to the 
conduct of thy holy spirit; lead us in thy truth, 
and teach us, for thou art the God of our sal¬ 
vation: guide us with thy counsel, and after¬ 
wards receive us'unto glory, for the merits and 
•intercession of thy blessed Son our Saviour. 
Amen. 

LUTHER’S DYING PRAYER. 

O Lord God, I thank thee, that thou would- 
est have me live a poor and indigent person 
upon .earth, I have neither house nor lands, 


104 


BIBLE 


nor possessions nor money to leave. Thou 
Lord hast given me a wife and children; them 
Lord, I give back unto thee. Nourish, instruct, 
and keep them, 0 thou the Father of orphans, 
and the widow’s judge, as thou hast done to 
me, so do to them. 



CHRISTMAS DAY. 

MORNING. 

O God, Thou art worthy of universal and 
everlasting adoration. Thy nature is incom¬ 
prehensible: thy perfections are infinite; and 
thy ways are past finding out. Thou art the 
Creator and upholder of all things. And all 
thy works praise Thee, O Lord, and thy saints 
bless Thee. All our lives have been full of thy 
undeserved goodness. 

But we are called this morning, to behold the 
exceeding riches of thy grace, in thy kindness 
towards us, by Christ Jesus. Herein is love; 
not that we loved God, but that He loved us, 
and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our 
sins. 

May we contemplate this matchless event, 
with all those views and affections which its 
importance demands. May those who observe 
the day, observe it unto the Lord, May our 


PRAYER BOOK. 


105 


festivity, becoming the occasion, be harmless 
and holy. Let us not disgrace the season, by 
reviving those works of the devil, which the 
Son of God was manifested to destroy, nor 
rest satisfied with the mere remembrance of 
his advent, as founded in truth, and attended 
with wonders; but inquire, for what end He 
was born, and for what cause He came into 
the world. And since we are informed, that 
He came to seek and to save that which was 
lost, and suffered, the just for the unjust, that 
He might bring us unto God; may we deem 
the report not only a faithful saying, but wor¬ 
thy of all acceptation: and may it be in us as 
a well of water, springing up into everlasting 
life. 

May none of us disregard Him, from igno¬ 
rance, worldly-mindedness, presumption, self- 
righteousness, or despondency. As our Pro¬ 
phet, may we repair to his feet for instruction- 
May we look to his sacrifice, and find relief 
for our burdened consciences. May we ac¬ 
knowledge his authority, and obey his com¬ 
mands. In all our approaches to Thee, may 
we make mention of his righteousness only, 
and in his strength, go forth into all the duties: 
and trials of life. 

May we never feci miserable, even in a vale 
of tears, while we think of the consolation of 
Israel: but rejoice in. Him, with joy unspeaka¬ 
ble and full of glory.. 


106 


BIBLE 


Reflecting upon his grace in becoming poor, 
that we through his poverty might be rich; 
may all selfishness, and uncharitableness, be 
extirpated from our hearts; may we love one 
another, as he has loved us; and may we de¬ 
light to go about doing good. 

May no coldness, no indifference, ever ap¬ 
proach our spirits, whenever we are engaged 
in serving a master who has all the claims of a 
benefactor; yea, who died for us, and rose 
again. 

To Him may we consecrate all our faculties 
and possessions; and, on our time and our sub¬ 
stance, our souls and our. bodies, may there be 
inscribed holiness unto the Lord. May we 
grieve to hear his name blasphemed, and weep 
to see his laws transgressed. 

May his cause lie near our hearts; and rfray 
we long for the time, when He shall be known 
and adored, from the rising of the sun to the 
going down of the same; when to Him shall 
every knee bow, and every tongue confess; 
and the glad tidings of great joy shall be to all 
people—Unto you is born a Saviour, which is 
Christ the Lord. And to God the Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit, be present and everlasting 
praises. Amen. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


107 


CHRISTMAS DAY. 

EVENING. 

Though Thou art exalted above all blessing 
and praise; yet, O God, \ve love to explore thy 
ways, to admire thy works, and to adore thy 
perfections. Thy understanding is infinite, thy 
power is Almighty,thy mercy endureth forever. 
Thy goodness transcends all our conceptions, 
as far as the heavens are higher than the earth. 

We call on our souls, and each other, this 
evening, to praise and magnify thy holy name. 
We bless Thee for our creation, and the de¬ 
gree we hold in the rank of being. We bless 
Thee for our preservation, and for all the sup¬ 
plies which have rendered life supportable; 
and all the indulgences, which have rendered 
it comfortable. But above all, we thank Thee 
for thine unspeakable gift. Ifor Thou hast 
surpassed all thy works, and crowned all thy 
benefits, by remembering us in our low estate, 
and laying help on one that is mighty. 

And we have again heard the intelligence, 
that God so loved the world, that He gave his 
only begotton Son, that whosoever believeth 
on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting 
life. Convince us of our need of this dispensa¬ 
tion of mercy and grace; and may we acqui- 


108 


BIBLE 


esce in it, not with coldness of assent, but with 
gladness of heart. May we exclaim with the 
angels—Glory to God in the highest, on earth 
peace, good will towards men; and with the 
multitude of disciples, shout—Hosanna, bless¬ 
ed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord. 

Though the world knew Him not, and his 
■own received Him not, and He is still despis¬ 
ed and rejected of men; may we receive Him 
as all our salvation, and all our desire. 

May we rejoice to view Him, in a nature, 
which leads Him to call us brethren; in which, 
as our example, He can go before us, in the 
duties of obedience and submission; in which, 
He can sympathize with us, in all our wo— 
and in which, He has suffered for sins, the just 
for the unjust, that He might bring us unto 
God. 

May we look to Him for all we w r ant, and 
live a life of faith upon his fulness. In Him 
may we know that we have redemption through 
his blood; that we have righteousness and 
strength; that we have all the treasures of 
wisdom and knowledge. 

May we connect with his work for us in the 
flesh, his work in us by the Spirit. While we 
are reconciled by his death, may we be saved 
by his life; and remember that his name is Je¬ 
sus ,because he saves his people from their sins. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


109 


And as He came not only that we might 
have life, but have it more abundantly, may 
our expectations be large, and our desire im¬ 
portunate; may He dwell in our hearts by 
faith, that we being rooted and grounded in 
love, may be able to comprehend with all saints, 
what is the height, and depth, and breadth, and 
length, and know the love of Christ, which 
passeth knowledge, and be filled with all the 
fulness of God. 

Once in the end of the world hath He ap¬ 
peared, to put away sin by the sacrifice of 
Himself; and unto them that look for Him will 
He appear a second time, without sin unto 
salvation. 0, prepare us for that solemn day. 
May we believe in Him as a Saviour, before 
we meet Him as a Judge: that when the tribes 
of the earth shall wail because of Him, we may 
lift up our heads with joy, knowing that our 
redemption draweth nigh; and say with the 
church, Lo! this is our God, we have waited 
for Him, He will save us: this is the Lord, we 
waited for Him, we will rejoice and be glad in 
his salvation. 

Make thy ministers wise, and zealous, and 
successful, in the dispensation of thy word; and 
let signs and wonders be done, in the name of 
thy holy child Jesus. 

We are a sinful people, but Thou hast not 
dealt with us after our desert; and Thou hast 
not left us without witness; Thou hast, in the 


no 


BIBLE 


.midst of us, a people for, thy name; and we 
pray, that our beloved country, may be a grow¬ 
ing part of the empire of the Prince of Peace. 

May the rod of Jesse stand for an ensign to 
the people; to it may the Gentiles seek; and 
let his rest be glorious. May he come down 
like rain upon the mown grass, as showers 
that water the earth. In his days may the 
righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, so 
long as the moon endureth. Let all nations 
be blessed in Him; all generations call Him 
blessed. 

And blessed be his glorious name for ever, 
and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. 
Amen. 



LAST EVENING OF THE OLD YEAR. 

OGod, Thou hast been our refuge and dwel¬ 
ling place in all generations; before the moun¬ 
tains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst 
formed the earth and the world, even from 
everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God. And 
a thousand years in thy sight, are but as yes¬ 
terday when it is past, and as a watch in the 
night. But as for man, his days are as grass; 
as a flower of the field so he flourisheth; for 
the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and 
the place thereof knoweth it no more. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


in 


We appear before Thee, to close in thy 
presence, another of the revolutions of our 
fleeting existence; earnestly praying, that the 
season may not pass away, without suitable 
and serious reflections. O, let us not imagine 
•—in spite of scripture, and observation, and 
reason, and feeling, that we have many of 
these periods left to notice; but say with Job, 
when a few years are corne, I shall go the way 
whence I shall not return. It may be only a 
few months, or weeks, or days, or hours, for 
we know not at what hour the Son of man 
cometh. But we know that our life is a va¬ 
pour, that appeareth for a little time, and then 
vanisheth away; we know the frailty of our 
frame; and the numberless diseases and disas¬ 
ters to which we are exposed—so teach us to 
number our days, that we may apply our hearts 
unto wisdom. 

What numbers of our fellow creatures, and 
many of them much more likely to have con¬ 
tinued than their survivors, have, during the 
past year, been carried down to their long 
hpme—but we have been preserved; and are 
the living to praise thee this day. Blessed be 
the God of salvation, to whom belong the is¬ 
sues from death, that we have yet an accepted 
time, and a day of salvation; and that our op¬ 
portunities of doing good, as well as of gain¬ 
ing good, are still prolonged. Yet are they all 
diminished by another irreparable loss;, and 


112 


BIBLE* 


the reduced remainder, with every trembling 
uncertainty attached to it, calls upon us to say 
with growing seriousness and zeal, I must 
work the works of Him that sent me while it 
is day, the night cometh, wherein no man can 
work. 

Thou hast commanded us to remember all 
the way, which thou hast led us in the wilder¬ 
ness. The scene of our journeying has indeed 
'been a wilderness; but the hand that has con¬ 
ducted us is divine; and a thousand privileges, 
not derivable from our condition, have been 
experienced in it. 

Thou hast corrected us, but it is of the 
Lord’s mercies we are not consumed. 

We have had our afflictions, but how few 
have they been in number; how short in con¬ 
tinuance; how alleviated in degree; how mer¬ 
ciful in design; how instructive and useful in 
their results. 

With regard to our severest exercises, we 
are compelled to acknowledge. Thou hast not 
dealt with us after our sins, neither hast Thou 
rewarded us according to our iniquities. It is 
good for me that I have been afflicted. 

But O, what a series of bounties and bless¬ 
ings present themselves to our minds, when we 
look back upon the year through which we 
have passed: and to what, but to thine un- 
merrited goodness in the Son of thy love, are 


PRAYER BOOK. 


113 


we indebted for all. Health, strength, food, 
raiment, residence, friends, relations, comfort, 
pleasure, hope, usefulness—all our benefits 
have dropped from thy gracious hand: and 
there has not been a day, or an hour, or a mo¬ 
ment, but has published thy kindness and thy 
care. 

Especially would we acknowledge thy good¬ 
ness, in continuing to us the means of grace. 
Whatever has been denied us, we have had 
the provisions of thy house. The toils and 
trials of the week, have been refreshed and re¬ 
lieved by the delights of the sabbath. Our eyes 
have seen our teachers. Our ears have heard 
the joyful sound of the gospel: and our hearts 
have often said, Lord, it is good for us to be 
here. 

And O, that every moment of the past year 
could, if called upon—and it will be called upon 
—bear witness to our gratitude, love and obe¬ 
dience. O, that it was not in its power to 
convict us of the most unworthy requitals of 
thy goodness. To Thee,0 Lord, belongglory 
and honor, but to us shame and confusion of 
face. ' O, who can understand his errors. 0, 
how many duties have we neglected or impro¬ 
perly performed. How little have we redeem¬ 
ed our time; or improved our talents. How 
little have we been alive to thy glory, or 
sought, or even seized, when presented, op¬ 
portunities of serving our generation. How 
9 


114 


BIBLE 


unprofited have we been under the richest 
means of religious prosperity—and, when for 
the time we ought to be able to teach others,, 
we have need to be again taught ourselves, 
what are the first principles of the oracles of 
God. 

God be merciful to us sinners. Pardon our 
iniquity, for it is great. Cleanse us from all 
unrighteousness: and work in us to will and 
to do of thy good pleasure. Let us not carry 
one of our old sins with us into the new year, 
unforgiven, unrepented of, unbewailed, unab- 
hored. With a new portion of time, may we 
have new hearts; and become new creatures. 

If this year we should die^-and in the midst 
of life we are in death—may death prove our 
eternal gain: and if our days are prolonged, 
may we walk before the Lord in the land of 
the living, and show r forth all thy praise. The 
number of our months is with Thee. In thy 
hand our breath is, and thine are all our ways. 
Prepare us for all: and be with us in all: and 
bring us safely through all, into the rest that 
remains for thy people; for the sake of our 
Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amem 


PRAYER BOOK. 


115 


FIRST MORNING OF THE NEW YEAR. 

Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the 
earth; and the heavens are the work of thy 
hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt en¬ 
dure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a 
garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, 
and they shall be changed; but thou art the 
same, and thy years shall have no end. Thro’ 
all the successions of time, which with us con¬ 
stitute the past, the present, and the future, 
I AM is thy name, and this is thy memorial in 
all generations. We desire, O God, with the 
profoundest reverence to contemplate the eter¬ 
nity of thy nature. May our minds' be filled 
with elevation and grandeur, at the thought of 
a Being, with whom one day is as a thousand 
years, and a thousand years*as one day; a Be¬ 
ing, who amidst all the revolutions of empire, 
and the lapse of worlds, feels no variableness 
nor shadow of turning. How glorious, with 
immortality attached to them, are all thy at¬ 
tributes; and how secure are the hopes and 
happiness of all those, who know thy name and 
put their trust in Thee. 

May we rejoice, that while men die, the 
Lord liveth; that while all creatures are found 
broken reeds and broken cisterns, He is the 
Rock of ages, and the fountain of living waters. 


116 


BIBLE 


0 that we may turn away our hearts from van¬ 
ity ; and among all the dissatisfactions and un¬ 
certainties of the present state, look after an 
interest in that everlasting covenant, which is 
ordered in all things and sure. May we seek 
after a union with thyself, as the strength of 
our heart, and our portion for ever, and be 
partakers ourselves of the immutability we 
adore; for Thou hast assured us, that while 
the world passeth away, and the lusts thereof, 
he that doeth the will of God, abideth for ever. 

We thank Thee that thou hast revealed to 
us the way in which a fallen and perishing sin¬ 
ner can be eternally united to thyself; and 
that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. 
In His name we come; O receive us gracious¬ 
ly; justify us freely from all things; renew us 
in the spirit of our minds; and bless us with all 
spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. 

By the lapse of our days, and weeks, and 
years, which we are called upon so often to 
remark, may we be reminded how short our 
life is, and how soon we shall close our eyes 
on every prospect below the sun; and, 0, suf¬ 
fer us not to neglect the claims of eternity, in 
the pursuit of the trifles of time; but knowing 
how frail we are, may we be wise enough to 
choose that good part which shall not be taken 
away from us; and before we leave the pres¬ 
ent evil world, may we secure an inheritance 
in another and a better. May thoughts of 


PRAYER BOOK. 


117 


death and eternity so impress our minds, as to 
put seriousness into our prayers, and vigor into 
our resolutions; may they loosen us from an 
undue attachment to things seen and temporal; 
so that we may weep as though we wept not; 
and rejoice as if we rejoiced not. 

And remembering that the present life, so 
short, so uncertain, and so much of which is 
already vanished, is the only opportunity we 
shall ever have for usefulness, may we be con¬ 
cerned, with holy avarice,, to redeem the time. 
May we be alive and awake, at every call of 
charity and piety. May we feed the hungry, 
and clothe the naked; may we instruct the ig¬ 
norant; reclaim the vicious; forgive the offend¬ 
ing; diffuse the gospel; and consider one an¬ 
other, to provoke one another unto love and 
good works, not forsaking the assembling our¬ 
selves together, as the manner of some is, but 
exhorting one another, and so much the more 
as we see the day approaching. 

As we have entered on a new period of life, 
may we faithfully examine ourselves, to see 
what has been amiss, in our former temper or 
conduct; and in thy strength, may we resolve 
to correct it. And may we inquire for the fu¬ 
ture—with a full determination to reduce our 
knowledge to practice,—Lord, what wilt thou 
have me to do? 

Prepare us for all the duties of the ensuing 


118 


BIBLE 


year. All the wisdom and strength, necessa¬ 
ry for the performance of them, must come 
from thyself; may we, therefore, live a life of 
self-distrust, of divine dependence, and of pray¬ 
er; may we ask and receive, that our joy may 
be full; may we live in the spirit, and walk in 
the spirit. 

If we are indulged with prosperity, 0 let not 
our prosperity destroy us, or injure us. If we 
are exercised with adversity, suffer us not to 
sink in the hour of trouble, or sin against God. 
May we know how to be abased, without des¬ 
pondence; and to abound, without pride. If 
our relative comforts are continued to us, may 
we love them without idolatry, and hold them 
at thy disposal ; and if they are recalled from 
us, may we be enabled to say, the Lord gave, 
and the Lord hath taken away; and blessed be 
the name of the Lord. 

Fit us for all events. We know not what 
a day may bring forth; but we encourage our¬ 
selves in the Lord our God, and go forward. 
Nothing can befall us by chance. Thou hast 
been thus far our helper; Thou hast promised 
to be with us in every condition; Thou hast 
engaged to make all things work together for 
good; all thy ways are mercy and truth. May 
we, therefore, be careful for nothing, but in 
every thing, by prayer and supplication with 
thanksgiving, may we make known our re¬ 
quests unto God; and may the peace of God 


PRAYER BOOK. 


119 


that passeth all understanding,keep our hearts 
and minds, through Christ Jesus. 

Bless, 0 bless the young; may each of them 
.this day hear thee, saying, My son give me 
thy heart; and, from this time, may they cry 
unto thee, as the guide of their youth. Regard 
those who have reached the years, wherein 
they say, we have no pleasure in them. If old 
in sin, may they be urged to embrace, before 
it be for ever too late, the things that belong 
to their peace; and if old in grace, uphold them 
with thy free spirit, and help them to remem¬ 
ber, that now is their salvation nearer than 
when they believed. 

Bless all the dear connexions attached to us 
by nature, friendship, or religion. Grace be 
to them; and peace be .multiplied. 

* Let our country share thy protection and 
smiles. Bless all our rulers and magistrates. 

Bless all our churches and congregations. 
Bless all thy ministers; may thine ordinances 
in their hand be enlivening and refreshing, and 
thy word effectual, to wound and to heal. 

May this be a year remarkable for the con¬ 
version of souls, and the extension of. the gos¬ 
pel. Bless all missionary societies; and let 
the circling months see the banners of the Re¬ 
deemer carried forward; till all nations are 
subdued to the obedience of faith. Our Fath¬ 
er, which art in heaven? hallowed be thy name; 


120 


BIBLE 


thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth 
as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily 
bread; and forgive us our tresspasses as we 
forgive those that trespass against us; and lead 
us not into temptation; but deliver us from 
evil; for thine is the kingdom, the power, and 
the glory, for ever. Amen. 


GOOD FRIDAY. 

MORNING. 

O, Thou King eternal, immortal, and invisi¬ 
ble. Though Thou art past finding out unto 
perfection, we rejoice that we are not called 
to worship an unknown God. Thou hast not- 
left thyself without witness. We bless thee 
for the revelation which thou hast given us; 
and that in thy word we can view thee, as the 
Father of mercies, and the God of all grace. 
All thy works and ways correspond with the 
names Thou hast assumed, and demand and 
justify our confidence in thee. We praise 
thee for the displays of thy goodness in the 
productions of nature, and the bounties of thy 
providence: but above all, for thine inestima¬ 
ble love, in the redemption of the world, by 
our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, 
and for the hope of glory. 


PRAYER BOOK. 


, 121 


Herein thou hast commended thy love to¬ 
wards us, in that while we were yet sinners, 
Christ died for us. 

We find ourselves this morning at the foot 
of His cross, where angels are desiring to look 
into these things—and if they who need no re¬ 
pentance, study the sufferings of Christ, and 
the glory that should follow, 0 how much more 
should we; to whom they are not only true, 
and wonderful, and sublime, but all important, 
and infinitely interesting. Help us, 0 Lord, 
to turn aside and see this great sight; and not 
suffer a dying Saviour to address us in vain—Is 
it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold 
and see, if ever there was sorrow like unto my 
sorrow. 

Here may we see the value of our souls, in 
the price paid for their deliverance: and with 
humble and holy confidence may we be ena¬ 
bled lo say, surely he hath borne our griefs, 
and carried our sorrows; the,, chastisement of 
our peace was upon Him, and by his stripes 
we are healed. 

May we never degrade his death by fearing 
that it will not be available for our guilt; but 
be fully persuaded that His blood cleanseth 
from all sin; and that by the one offering up 
of himself, he hath perfected for ever them that 
are sanctified. 

Yet, O God, never suffer us to sin that grace 
may abound. May we never crucify the Sa- 


122 


BIBLE 


viour afresh and put him to an open shame. 
May he never be, wounded in the house of his 
professing friends. 

May our old man be crucified with Him; 
and the body of -sin be destroyed, that hence¬ 
forth we may not serve sin. May we learn 
of Him, submission, and meekness, and forgiv- 
ness of injuries; when reviled, may we revile 
not again; when suffering, may we threaten 
not, but commit ourselves to him that judgeth 
righteously. 

Like Him, in all the afflictions of life, may 
we look to the hand that prepares and presents 
them; and say, the cup which my Father hath 
given me, shall I not drink it? 

Convert and pardon all those, who by their 
lives or doctrine, are the enemies of the cross 
of Christ. 

Have mercy upon the descendants of those 
who shed His blood; and let his dying prayer 
be answered, Father, forgive them, for they 
know not 'what they do. 

And when He, who made himself of no re¬ 
putation, but took upon him the form of a ser¬ 
vant, and became obedient unto death, even 
the death of the cross, shall come in His glory, 
with all the holy angels, may we be enabled 
to say, even so, come Lord Jesus; and unite 
with those, who will be eternally employed in 
saying—Unto Him that loved us, and washed 


PRAYER BOOK. 


123 


us from our sins in His own blood, and hath 
made us kings and priests unto God, and to His 
Father, be glory and dominion for ever and 
ever. Amen. 



GOOD FRIDAY. 

EVENING. 

OThou, whose name alone is Johovah, the 
Most High over all the earth; We desire to 
adore thy perfections, and to admire thy works, 
which are sought out of all them that have 
pleasure therein. 

Thou art the only wise God. Thy power 
is Almighty. Whither can • we go from thy 
presence, or whither can we flee from thy Spi¬ 
rit? Thou art holy in all thy ways. And such 
is thy party, that even the heavens are not 
clean in thy sight. 

How shall we come before the Lord, or how 
before the high God? we have no offering of 
our own to bring. No man can redeem his 
brother, or give to God a ransom for him. The 
blood of bulls and of goats could not take away 
sin. The law itself made nothing perfect—but 
the bringing in of a better hope did, by the 
which we draw nigh to God. 


124 


BIBLE 


Yes, blessed be thy name, Thou hast shown 
us what is good; and we behold the Lamb of 
God, who is the propitiation for our sins, and 
not for ours only, but ^lIso for the sins of the 
whole world. 

Here a foundation is laid for our hope, in 
connexion with the highest glory of all thy 
perfections; and we rejoice to think, that while 
pleading for salvation by the blood of the cross, 
we ask Thee not to deny thyself, or to tram¬ 
ple on thy holy law; for here, thy law is mag¬ 
nified and made honorable; here, all thy attri¬ 
butes are developed and harmonized; mercy 
and truth meet together; righteousness and 
peace kiss each other. 

Here; weary and heavy laden, may we come 
for relief, and find rest unto our souls. May 
w^e take fresh views of this adorable sacrifice, 
under a sense of our constant unworthiness 
and desert; and in all our approaches to Thee, 
may we have boldness and access with confi¬ 
dence, by the faith of Him. 

And, O, that in every future moment of our 
existence, we may be constrained to live, not 
to ourselves, but to Him that died for us, and 
rose again. As He so loved us, may we also 
love one another: and never deem any thing 
too great to do, or to suffer, while endeavoring 
to seek and to serve, that which is lost. 

May the hearts which are too hard to be 
broken by terror, be melted by love, and gain- 


PRAYER BOOK. 


125 


ed by confidence. May none of those who 
are desirous of returning to Thee, be discourag¬ 
ed by a fear of rejection: but calling to re-; 
membrance ana belief, the infinite proof which 
Thou hast already exhibited of thy benevo¬ 
lence, thus Judge—He that spared not his own 
Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall 
He not, with Him, freely give us all things. 

Smile upon our country. Let all the church¬ 
es of the faithful, be edified and multiplied. 
Bless all the ministers- of the everlasting gos¬ 
pel; and may they increasingly determine to 
know nothing, save Jesus Christ, and Him 
crucified. 

Increase the number of those who love his 
salvation; and as He gave himself a ransom 
for all, may it be testified in due time, that he 
may have the heathen for his inheritance, and 
the uttermost parts of the earth for his posses¬ 
sion; and reign King of kings, and Lord of 
lords. And to thy holy name Father, Son, 
and Holy Spirit, be everlasting praises. Amen. 




120 


BIBLE 


PRAYERS AT TABLE. 


BEFORE MEAT. 

Almighty God! the eyes of all wait on Thee, and 
Thou givest them their meat in due season. Bless, 
we beseech Thee, the provisions of thine earthly boun¬ 
ty, which are now before us;— and. let them nourish 
and strengthen our frail bodies, that we may the better 
serve Thee, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Or thus: 

Bountiful giver of every good and perfect gift! Thou 
art never weary of supplying our returning wants,— 
Grant, we pray Thee, that the food of which we are 
about to partake, may contribute to the comfort and 
support of our bodies,—and enable us to engage with 
more zeal in thy service; which we ask for Jesus Christ’s 
sake. Amen. 


Or thus: 

Let thy blessing, Almighty God, descend on this por¬ 
tion of thy bounty, and on us, thy unworthy servants, 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 


Or thus: 


Almighty God, we beseech Thee to pardon our sins, 
to bless the refreshment now before us to our use and 
us to thy service, through Jesus Christ. 


AFTER MEAT. 


We thank Thee, O God, our heavenly Father! for 
the innumerable good gifts of thy providence. Espe¬ 
cially do we thank Thee for the rich provisionThou hast 
made for our souls—Accept our greatful acknowledg¬ 
ments for the food we have now received: and enable 
us to prove our sincerity by the holiness and obedience 
of our lives, for the sake of our Lord and Saviour, 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Or thus: 

What shall we render to Thee, O God, for all thy ben¬ 
efits'? Every day of our lives we are receiving fresh 
tokens of thy favor. O, let thy goodness lead us to 
repentance. And if we can do no more than express 
our gratitude—help us to do that in the sincerity of 
our souls—and thine shall be the glory, for ever, through 
Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Or thus: 

Accept, heavenly Father, our humble thanks for this, 
and for all thy blessings, through Jesus Christ. 


128 


BIBLE 


Or thus: 

We thank Thee, our heavenly Father, for the rich 
provision Thou hast made for our temporal and eternal 
welfare; especially for the food we have now received. 
May thy goodness lead us to repentance, and thy grace 
prepare us for heavenly entertainments, through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. 


THE END. 































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